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WEAVERS  AND   OTHER 
WORKERS 


i 


A    PERSIAN    PRAYER    RUG 


WEAVERS  AND  OTHER 
WORKERS 


By 
JENNIE  HALL 

The  Francis  W.  Parker  School.    Author  oj  "Viking  Tales, 
"Four  Old  Greeks,"  "The  Story  of  Chicago," 


RAND  M?NALLY  &   COMPANY 

CHICAGO  NEW  YORK 

77858 


Copyriglil,    70/7 
IJy  Jksmk   H  Al.t. 
All  rights  rcscrviil 


ACKNOWI.KIX  ;MKNTS 

Thanks  are  extended  for  the  use  of  selections  in  this  hook  as 
follows: 

To  William  Ileineman,  London,  for  "In  the  Farmyard"  from 
Happy  Boy  by  Bjornstjerne  Bjornson. 

To  theMacmillan  Company  for  Ernest  Myers'  translation  of 
"A  Wish"  in  Lang's  Tlieocrilus,  Bion,  and  MoscIiks,  and  for  "Odys- 
seus and  the  Giant  Shepherd"  adapted  from  the  Butcher  and  Lang 
translation  of  The  Odyssey. 

"Baby's  Evening  Song"  from  In  the  Young  World  by  Edith  M. 
Thomas  is  published  by  permission  of,  and  special  arrangement 
with,  Houghton  Mifflin  Company. 


Made  ill  U.  S.  A. 


E-25 


^0 


^^  THE  CONTENTS 

PAGE 

Acknowledgments 4 

A  List  of  Illustralioiis 7 

The  Preface 9 

In  the  Farmyard.    Bjomstjeme  Bjdrnson 11 

A  Herd  of  Goats 12 

The  Shepherd  Lady.    Jean  Ingeloiv 14 

"^      Goats 15 

^^      The  Sheep.    Ann  Taylor 17 

■\      The  Shepherd.     William  Blake 19 

V  "?>    A  Shepherd's  Life 20 

"^       The  Lamb.     William  Blake 22 

A  Shepherds'  Village  in  Greece 23 

Awaiting  the  Spring.    Lucy  M.  Gamell  (translator) 25 

A  Wish.     Moschus  (translated  by  Ernest  Myers) 26 

Bedouins 28 

.tok  I.  How  the  Country  Looks,  28;     H.  The  People,  30;     HL  Milk- 

"^  ing  Time,  31;     IV.  Cooking,  32;     V.  Coming  Home  for  Supper, 

^  34;      VI.   Supper,   35;     VII.    Moving,   38;     VIII.    Herding,   42; 

IX.  In  a  Town,  44;    X.  A  Visitor,  46;     XL  Work  and  Play,  48; 

XII.  Story  of  Tellal,  51. 

The  Shepherdess 54 

Baby's  Evening-Song.    Edith  M.  Thomas 56 

A  Picture.     Jean  Ingelow 57 

A  Lost  Sheep 58 

Signs  of  the  Weather.    Old  English  Rime 60 

The  Welcome.     Christina  G.  Rossetti  (excerpt) 61 

Giotto 62 

I.  The  Shepherd  Boy,  62;    11.  The  Stranger,  63 ;   HI.  The  Artist,  66. 

The  Passionate  Shepherd.     Christopher  Marlowe 68 

Motherless  Lambs 70 

A  Chill.     Christina  G.  Rossetti 72 

Shepherds'  Joys 73 

Happy  Families.     Christina  G.  Rossetti 74 

My  Mother's  Stories 75 

I.  Sheep  Washing,  75;     II.  Sheep  Shearing,  79. 

Up!    Up!    Ye  Dames,  and  Lasses  Gay!    S.  T.  Coleridge  ....  81 

Snowdrop  and  Lamb.    Christina  G.  Rossetti  (excerpt) 83 

5 


6  THE  COX  TEXTS 

PACK 

An  ULD  KAMIIOMD   i:\l\l\(i  84 

The  Spinnkr                          86 

Nav.vio  Workers 88 

I.  The  Weaver.  88;     II.  Tlie  Spinner.  TO;     III.  The  Dver.  91; 

IV.  A  Trade.  91, 

N.\v.\jo  Designs 93 

N.W.VJO  SlIKPllKROS                 _          94 

A  Pkrsi.\n  Dykk 95 

I.  Mow  He  Looks.  95;     II.  His  Work.  97. 

DYElNt;  Cl.OTH    .      .                         99 

.•\  Persi.\n  We.wer                     101 

A  RiT.  p-AiR 103 

I.  The  Ride.  103;    II.  At  the  Inn.  101;    HI.  The  Fair.  105. 

The  Old  Weaver        107 

For  Teachers:  I.  STORIES  to  Be  Read  or  Told  to  the  Children  .  Ill 
The  Great  Winter  (adapted  from  Lorna  Doone  by  R.  D.  Blackmore), 
111;  The  Shepherd  Lad  and  the  Giant  (adapted  from  the  Bible), 
116;  Odysseus  and  the  Giant  Shepherd  (adapted  from  The  Odyssey), 
121;  An  Arab  and  His  Horse  (retold  from  "Muleykeh"  by  Robert 
Browning),  132;  Isaac  and  Rebekah  (adapted  from  the  Bible),  139; 
A  Rug  Story,  145. 

II.  Correlated  Manual  Work 151 

Weaving,   151;  Special  Looms,   158;  Spinning,   162;  Dyeing,   164; 
The  School  Museum,    168;    Illustrative  Construction,    169. 


A  LIST  OF   ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGE 

A  Persian  Prayer  Rug, Frontispiece 

(Courtesy  of  Marshall  Field  &  Co.,  Chicago) 

In  the  Farmyard 10 

Goats  on  the  Mountain.     Auguste  Bonheur 12 

Spring  Pastoral.     H.  H.  Stanton 17 

Sheep — Autumn.     Antoine  Mauve 19 

Twilight.    J.  Laronze 22 

Sheep  in  Pasture.     Auguste  Bonheur 26 

Shepherd  Boy  of  Latium  {"  Under  the  rocks  on  the  sleep") 27 

"She  makes  a  round,  thin  cake" 33 

Arab  Sheik  Traveling.     Adolph  Schreyer 35 

"They  ride  for  a  long  lime" 40 

Kabyl.    Adolph  Schreyer 53 

Shepherdess.     Henri  Lerolle 54 

The  Spinner  {"Her  Spindle  Is  Whirling  from  Her  Hand").     J.  F.  Millet  55 

The  Sheepfold.     C.  F.  Pierce 56 

September  Evening.     L.  Japy  (detail) 57 

Shepherd  and  Flock.     Rosa  Bonheur 59 

Sheep  and  Lamb.     H.  Salentin  (detail) 61 

Oversleeping.    Otto  Gebler 62 

Giotto's  Bell  Tower 65 

The  Shepherd.     Giotto 67 

In  the  Highlands.     J.  Hofner  (detail) 69 

The  Brook.     E.  I.  Couse 70 

Leaving  the  Hills.     J.  Farquharson 73 

Sheep  Shearing.     J.  F.  Millet 75 

The  Sheep  Shearer.    J.  F.  Millet 78 

Sheep.    A.  Bruzzi 81 

"The  lambkin  tottering  in  its  walk" 82 

The  Preferred  One.    Georges  Laugee 83 

Priscilla  Spinning.     G.  R.  Barse 85 

"  The  thread  gets  full  of  knots" 87 

" Above  them  she  is  making  double  mountains" 89 

Indian  Shepherd.     E.  I.  Couse 94 

A  Persian  Rug  {" In  the  middle  is  a  tree") 100 

(Courtesy  of  Pushman  Bros.,  Chicago) 

A  Persian  Prayer  Rug  ("  Japan's  peach  blooms") 108 

(Courtesy  of  Marshall  Field  &  Co.,  Chicago) 

7 


8  .1    LIST   or   ll.l.l  STRATIONS 

VM.l'. 

Th,-  Liltif  Brook-  OH  John  Ritld's  Far/n 110 

Lost.     A.  F.  Si-luMick 11  :i 

rfir  Laid  Is  My  Shtphcrd  (Daiul  the  Shvphtrd  Lad).    W.  L.  Ta\l()r    .      .117 

Odysseus  GiriHS.  Wine  to  Polyphttniis.     J.  Klaxnian 1125 

Odysseus  Escafihii:  on  the  Ram.     Fniiii  an  old  vase  .      .  .1129 

A'ah  {An  Axib  and  Ilis  Horse).     Adoljili  SchreytT  .  \'X\ 

Ereninfi  Prayer  in  the  Sahara.     G.  C.uillaunu'l 1  16 

In  Full  Flifiht  ("They  Leaf)ed  on  Their  Wailinti  Horses  and  Were  Of)  into 

the  De.urt").     Alfred  Paris 1  17 

Arabian  Out  frosts.     Adolph  Schreyer 1 18 

Prayer  in  the  Desert.     Horace  \'crnel 119 

Correlated  Manual  Work 

Bass  made  by  children 152 

Cardboard  kxim  for  baK 153 

Cardboard  loom  for  mat 155 

Cardboard  loom  for  hammock 156 

Wooden  darning  loom 157 

Wooden  heddle  loom,  top  view 159 

Same  loom,  side  view 159 

Looms  made  by  boys  of  second  grade 160 

Heddle  frame 161 

Heddle 161 

Spindles 163 

Card  of  dye  samples 168 


iMg. 

1. 

Fig. 

2 

Fig. 

3. 

Fig. 

4. 

Fig. 

o. 

Fig. 

6. 

Fig. 

7. 

Fig. 

8. 

Fig. 

9. 

Fig. 

10. 

Fig. 

11. 

Fig. 

12. 

THE  PREFACE 

During  several  years  of  teaching  in  the  second  grade,  no 
subject  of  study  proved  more  interesting  to  teacher  and 
children  than  textiles.  This  series  of  reading  lessons,  this 
collection  of  verse  and  stories,  these  pieces  of  handwork, 
developed  in  those  years  as  the  exigencies  of  the  children's 
work  demanded.  It  is  on  account  of  that  practical  genesis 
that  I  dare  to  hope  they  may  prove  useful  to  other  teachers 
who  believe  that  industry  is  one  of  the  supremely  great  sub- 
jects of  study  for  modern  children  and  that  the  historical  and 
literary  associations  and  the  manual  activities  are  equally 
important. 

This  book  aims  to  be  a  complete  unit  for  primary  children, 
and  into  the  making  of  that  unit  there  go  five  different  kinds  of 
material — pictures,  poems,  stories,  reading  matter,  suggested 
handwork.  Studied  so,  the  subject  will  become,  I  believe,  in 
three  months  an  integral  part  of  a  child's  life,  a  permanent 
possession;  with  any  of  the  five  omitted,  the  study  will  be 
shorn  of  some  degree  of  vividness  and  appeal. 

May  I  be  allowed  to  express  my  sincere  thanks  to  Miss 
Katherine  Lee  Bates,  of  Wellesley,  who  once  again  has  given 
a  manuscript  of  mine  her  kind  and  wise  criticism?  For  sug- 
gesting several  of  the  poems  I  am  especially  indebted  to  her. 

Jennie  Hall 

Francis  W.  Parker  School 
Chicago,  Illinois 


IN    THE   FARMYARD 


WEAVERS  AND   OTHER 
WORKERS 

IN  THE  FARMYARD 
Come,  goat,  to  your  sire, 
Come,  calf,  from  the  byre; 
Come,  pussy,  that  mews 
In  your  snowy-white  shoes; 
Come,  ducklings  so  yellow; 
Come,  chickens  so  small. 
Each  soft  little  fellow 
That  can't  run  at  all; 
Come,  sweet  doves  of  mine, 
With  your  feathers  so  fine! 
The  turf's  wet  with  dew, 
But  the  sun  warms  it  through. 
It  is  early,  right  early,  in  summer-time  still. 
But  call  on  the  autumn,  and  hurry  it  will. 

BjORNSTJERNE   BjORNSON 

Translated  by  William  Archer 
11 


12 


wea\I::rs  axd  other  workers 


A  HERD  OF  GOATS 


A  herd  of  goats  on  a  mountain  side  is  very 

pretty. 
The  rocks  are  big  and  rough  and  gray. 
Little  green  plants  grow  in  the  cracks. 
The  goats  are  brown  and  black  and  white 

and  gray. 
They    jump    from    rock    to    rock    and    eat 

the    plants. 


A   HERD  OF  GOATS  13 

They  are  busy  all  day  long. 
The  goatherd  with  his  crook  sits  on  a  rock. 
He  has  a  bright  handkerchief  on  his  head. 
These  goats  do  not  belong  to  him. 
Down  the  mountain  is  a  little  village. 
The    goats    belong    to    the    people    of    this 

village. 
Early  in    the    morning   the   goatherd    walks 

through  the  village. 
The  goats  are  waiting  for  him  at  their  own 

doors. 
He  whistles,  and  the  goats  walk  on  ahead 

of  him. 
In  the  evening  he  drives  them  home. 
When  a   goat   comes   to  her   own   door  she 

turns   in. 
Sometimes    she    has    to    go    upstairs    to    be 

milked. 
Up  she  goes  all  alone. 
Climbing  stairs  is  not  so  hard   as  climbing 

rocks  on  the  mountain  side. 


14 


WhAVLRS  A.\D   OTHER   WORKERS 


THE   SHEPHERD  LADY 

{To  be  read  to  the  children) 

Who  pipes  upon  the  long  green  hill, 
Where  meadow  grass  is  deep? 

The  white  lamb  bleats  but  followeth  on  — 
Follow  the  clean  white  sheep. 

The  dear  white  lady  in  yon  high  tower, 
She  hearkeneth  in  her  sleep. 


All  in  long  grass  the  piper  stands, 

Goodly  and  grave  is  he; 
Outside  the  tower,  at  dawn  of  day, 

The  notes  of  his  pipe  ring  free. 
A  thought  from  his  heart  doth  reach  to  hers: 

''Come  down,  O  lady!  to  me." 

Jean  Ingelow 


GOATS 


15 


GOATS 

Cows  like  flat  fields  of  grass  to  eat  in. 
But  some  countries  have  no  such  fields. 
They  have  only  high,  rough  mountains. 
In  these  countries  people  do  not  keep  many 

cows. 
They  keep  goats  instead. 
The  goats  can  climb  the  rough  mountain  side. 


\G  \VI:AVIiRS  AM)   OTHER  WORKERS 

riu'\'  r:il  llu'  plants  u^rowiiii;  amoiii:;  the  rocks, 
Cioats  arc  very  useful. 
People  drink   their   milk. 
They  make  cheese  from  the  milk. 
They  use  it  in  making  milk  chocolate. 
They  eat  the  meat  of  goats. 
They  make  pails  and  bottles  from  the  skin 
They  make  cloth  from  the  hair. 
They  do  not  need  to  dye  the  cloth  to  make 

it  pretty. 
That  is  because  goat  hair  is  of  so  many  colors 
Some  goats  are  black. 
Some  are  white. 
Some  are  dark  brown. 
Some  are  light  brown. 
Some  are  blue-gray. 
People  make  yarn  of  this  black  and   white 

and  brown  and  gray  hair. 
The  yarns  are  of  different  colors. 
With   these   yarns   people    make    bags   with 

pretty  stripes. 


THE  SHEEP 


17 


THE  SHEEP 

"Lazy  sheep,  pray  tell  me  why 
In  the  pleasant  fields  you  lie, 
Eating  grass  and  daisies  white, 
From  the  morning  till  the  night? 
Every  thing  can  something  do, 
But  what  kind  of  use  are  you?" 


18  n7;.n7:A'.S   AM)   OTHER   WORKERS 

"Nay,  my  little  master,  nay, 
\^o  iu)t  serve  me  so,   I   pray: 
Don't  you  see  the  wool  that  grows 
On  my  back,  to  make  you  clothes? 
Cold,  and  very  cold,  you'd  be, 
If  you  had  not  wool  from  me. 

"True,  it  seems  a  pleasant  thing. 
To  nip  the  daisies  in  the  spring; 
But  many  chilly  nights  I  pass 
On  the  cold  and  dewy  grass. 
Or  pick  a  scanty  dinner,  where 
All  the  common's  brown  and  bare. 

"Then  the  farmer  comes  at  last, 
When  the  merry  spring  is  past, 
And  cuts  my  woolly  coat  away, 
To  warm  you  in  the  winter's  day: 
Little  master,  this  is  why 
In  the  pleasant  fields  I  lie." 

Ann  Taylor 


THE  SHEPHERD 


19 


THE  SHEPHERD 

{To  be  read  to  the  children) 
How  sweet  is  the  shepherd's  sweet  lot; 
From  the  mom  to  the  evening  he  strays; 
He  shall  follow  his  sheep  all  the  day, 
And  his  tongue  shall  be  filled  with  praise. 


For  he  hears  the  lambs'  innocent  call, 
And  he  hears  the  ewes'  tender  reply; 
He  is  watchful  while  they  are  in  peace, 
For  they  know  when  their  shepherd  is  nigh. 

William  Blake 


20 


]vi:avi-:rs  a.\d  other  workers 


A  SHEPHERD'S  LIFE 

It    must    be    pleasant    to    be    a    shepherd    in 

Greece. 
Early  in  the  morning  it  is  cool. 
The  sky  is  golden  around  the  sun. 
The  mountains  are  rosy. 
The  sheep  move  slowly  over  the  hill. 
They  eat  the  grass  as  they  go. 
Their  bells  tinkle  sweetly. 
The  shepherd  lies  on  a  rock. 
He  plays  his  pipe. 


A  SHEPHERD'S  LIFE  21 

The  sound  floats  far  away. 

His  dog  lies  beside  him. 

But  at  noon  it  is  very  hot. 

The  sheep  want  to  rest  in  the  shade. 

So  does  the  shepherd. 

He  drives  his  sheep  slowly  to  a  well. 

He  draws  water,  and  the  sheep  drink. 

Then  he  drives  them  to  a  shelter  that  he 
has   made. 

It  is  a  little  flat  roof  of  brush. ^ 

It  stands  on  short  poles. 

It  makes  a  little  shade. 

Here  the  sheep  lie  close  together  and  sleep. 

There  is  another  smaller  roof  for  the  shep- 
herd. 

Here  he  and  his  dog  lie  down  and  sleep. 

After  a  few  hours  it  grows  cool. 

The  shepherd  and  the  sheep  awake. 

The  sheep  go  out  again  to  eat. 

The  shepherd  follows  slowly. 

1  See  picture  on  page  24. 


WI-AVI-RS  AM)   OTHER  WORKERS 


THE   LAMB 

{To  be  read  to  the  children) 
Little  lamb,  who  made  thee? 
Dost  thou  know  who  made  thee, 
Gave  thee  life,  and  bid  thee  feed 
By  the  stream  and  o'er  the  mead; 
Gave  thee  clothing  of  delight. 
Softest  clothing,  woolly,  bright; 
Gave  thee  such  a  tender  voice, 
Making  all  the  world  rejoice? 

Little  lamb,  who  made  thee? 

Dost  thou  know  who  made  thee? 

William  Blake 


A   SHEPHERDS'  VILLAGE  IN  GREECE  23 

A  SHEPHERDS'  VILLAGE  IN  GREECE 
It  is  lonely  work  being  a  shepherd. 
The  sheep  wander  on  day  after  day. 
Sometimes  they  go  miles  from  home. 
The    shepherd    does    not    see    anybody    for 

days  and  days. 
He  is  far  up  in  bare  hills. 
But  there  are  other  shepherds  in  those  hills. 
Sometimes  they  hear  one  another's  pipes  far 

away. 
'*There   are   other   shepherds,"    they   say    to 

themselves. 
They  drive  their  sheep  toward  the  sound. 
When  they  meet  they  are  very  glad. 
"Let  us  camp  together,"  they  say. 
"We  shall  not  be  lonely  then." 
So  they  build  sheds  for  themselves  and  their 

sheep. 
They  make  them  of  brush  or  of  rushes. 
The  sheep  shed  is  a    big   ring   with   a   roof 

around  the  edge. 


24 


WEAVERS  AM)  OTHER  WORKERS 


^.■^.; 


The  men's  huts  look  like  big  beehives. 
Inside  is  a  shelf  for  the  men  to  lie  on. 
On  the  ground  in  the  middle  burns  a  little 

fire. 
In  the  evenings  the  shepherds  drive  the  sheep 

into  the  sheep  shed. 
Every  night  the  men  sleep  in  their  huts. 
Here  the  shepherds  all  live  for  weeks. 
When  the  grass  is  gone,   they  move   on   to 

a  new  camp. 


AWAITING   THE  SPRING  25 

AWAITING   THE   SPRING 

Vlachs  are  shepherd  people  of  Greece. 
They  love  the  mountains. 
But  in  winter  the  mountains  are  cold. 
The  Vlachs  drive  the  sheep  down  into  the 

valleys. 
There  they  wait  for  spring. 
Every  day  they  look  at  the  mountains  and 

wish  to  go  back  to  them.     They  sing:^ 

How  peaceful  all  the  mountains  lie, 
How  peaceful  all  the  meadows! 
It  is  not  death  that  they  await,  old  age  doth  not  afflict 

them. 
The  springtime  only  they  await,  and  May  and  summer 

sunshine, 
To  see  the  Vlachs  upon  the  hills,  to  see  the  fair  Vlach 

maidens. 
And  listen  to  their  music  sweet  that  with  their  pipes 

they'll  waken, 
While  graze   their  sheep,   around   whose  necks   the 

heavy  bells  are  tinkling. 
Again  they'll  set  their  sheep  folds  up,  and  set  up 

their  encampment. 

Translated  by  Lucy  M.  Garnett 

^  To  be  read  to  the  children. 


26 


\vi:a\i:rs  .wd  other  workers 


A  WISH 

{To  be  read  to  the  children) 
Would  that  my  father  had  taught  me 
The  craft  of  a  keeper  of  sheep; 
For  so,  in  the  shade  of  an  elm  tree 
Or  under  the  rocks  on  the  steep, 
Piping  on  reeds  I  had  sat, 
And  had  lulled  my  sorrow  to  sleep! 

MOSCHUS 

Translated  by  Ernest  Myers 


"UNDER  THE  ROCKS  ON  THE  STEEP' 


27 


28  \vj:.\\i:rs  .wn  other  workers 

BEDOUINS 

I.      IU)\v  Tin-:  Country  Looks 
There    is   a    country   far   away. 
The    sun   is  bricjht  there. 
Much    of    the    hind    is    made    of    sand    and 

gravel  and   stones. 
Most  of  the  time  it  is  hot  and  dry. 
But   in   March  there    is  rain. 
Then  flowers  grow. 
You  can  see  very   far. 
The  country   looks  like  a  garden. 
You   see  a   big  red   place. 
It  is  red  tulips  and  poppies. 
They  grow  wild  there. 
You  see  a  low  green  place. 
Wild  oats  and   rye  and   barley  are  growing 

there. 
You  see  yellow  places. 
They  are  wild  marigolds. 
You  see  other  yellow  places. 
They  are  sand. 


BEDOUINS 


29 


You  see  gray  places. 

They  are  stones  and  gravel. 

Little  bushes  grow  there. 

Pools  of  water  shine  in  the  sun. 

White  and  purple  irises  grow  in  them. 

The  rain  stops,  and  the  pools  dry  up. 

The  flowers  and  grass  and  bushes  die. 

The  country  is  all  dry,  hot  sand  and  stones 

and  gravel. 
The  country  is  Arabia. 


30  wea\'i:rs  .\\n  otiif.r  workers 

II.      Till-:   Pi:orLi-: 
IVoplc  li\c  in  this  country. 
They  are  Bedouins. 
They  ha\-e  goats  and  camels. 
They  have  horses  and  sheep,  too. 
The     camels     and     slu-ep     and     horses     and 

goats  eat  very  much. 
They  eat   all    the   grass   and   flowers   in   one 

place. 
Then  the  men  drive  them  to  anothei   place. 
All  the  people  follow. 
They   are    in    that    place    for    three    or    four 

days. 
Then  the  grass  is  all  gone  again. 
The  people  move  again. 
So  they  have  tents,   because   they  are  easy 

to  move. 
They  make  them  of  thick  cloth. 
They  make  the  cloth  of  goat's  hair. 
The  women  spin  the  hair  and  weave  it. 
Most  of  their  goats  are  black. 


BEDOUINS  31 

So  the  tents  are  black. 

The  people  put  up  the  tents  near  pools  of 

water. 
The  sheep  and  goats  and  camels  and  horses 

are  near  by. 
They  are  eating  the  grass  and  flowers. 

III.     Milking  Time 

It  is  supper  time. 

Boys  are  driving  the  sheep  home. 

There  are  fenced  places  close  to  the  tents. 

The  fence  is  made  of  branches  of  trees  and 

of  bushes. 
The  boys  drive  the   sheep   into   the    fenced 

places. 
Nobody  drives  the  camels. 
They  come  home  alone. 
They  stand  near  the  tents. 
Women  come  out  to  milk. 
They  milk  the  goats. 
They  get  big  bowls  of  milk. 


32  \VHA\1:RS  ax  I)   OTIIF.R  WORKKRS 

They  take  this  milk  to  the  horses,  and  the 

horses  drink  it. 
Boys  milk  the  camels. 
They  get  much  milk. 
They  take  it   to  the  tents  for  the  people  to 

drink. 

I V .     Cooking 

Women  are  cooking  at  bonfires. 

One  woman  has  a  big  stone  dish. 

She  puts  wheat  into  it  and  pounds  it. 

She  is  making  f^our. 

She  puts  water  with  it  and  makes  a  round, 

thin  cake. 
It  is  bread. 

She  spreads  it  over  the  bottom  of  a  bowl. 
She  puts  it  over  the  fire  to  cook. 
Another  woman  is  pounding  coffee. 
Another  is  churning. 
The  milk  is  in  a  goat-skin  bag. 
The  woman  rolls  the  bag  on  her  knee. 


Copyright  by  Underwood  &  'Dnderwood,  N.Y. 

"SHE  MAKES  A  ROUND,  THIN  CAKE" 


33 


34      WEAVERS  AM)  OTHER  WORKERS 

That   makes  the  buttiM-  come. 
One  woman  comes  from   the  pool. 
She  has  a  bucket  full  of  water. 
The  bucket  is  made  of  leather. 
Other  women  come. 
They  are  carrying  little  bushes. 
They  throw  them  upon  the  fire. 

V.     Coming  Home  for  Supper 

The  men  come  riding  across  the  sand. 

Each  man  rides  a  fine  Arabian  horse. 

A  rope  is  tied  around  the  horse's  nose. 

The  man  drives  with  this. 

The  men  wear  big  blankets  made  of  camel's 

hair,  with  stripes  of  red  and  yellow. 
They   all    wear    striped    cloth   around    their 

heads. 
These  men  have  been  to  war. 
They  have  lances  in  their  hands. 
They  wave  them  m  the  air. 
Sometimes  they  carry  long  guns. 


BEDOUINS 


35 


When  they  get  to  the  tents,  they  jump  off 

their  horses. 
They  tie  them  to  the  tents. 
They  give  them  oats  and  dates  to  eat. 
These  men  wear  long  white  robes. 
They  tie  cords  around  their  waists. 

V I .     Supper 
Supper  is  ready. 
The  men  go  to  their  tents. 


36  \vi:.\vi:rs  .wn  other  workers 

K[wh    man    slicks    his    lance    into    the    sand 

before  his  door. 
He  goes  into  his  tent. 
A  (ire  is  burning  inside  the  tent. 
It  is  in  a  hole  in  the  sand   (loor. 
Lavender  bushes  are  burning"  in  the  fire. 
They  make  a  sweet  smell. 
Saddles  hang  on  the  poles. 
They  are  for  the  camels. 
Ropes  hang  on  the  poles. 
A  sword  hangs  from  the  cloth  of  the  tent. 
A  wooden  dish  is  on  the  floor. 
It  is  full  of  camel's  meat. 
There  is  a  basket  full  of  dates. 
There  is  a  cup  of  soft  butter. 
There  is  a  big  wooden  bowl  full  of  sour  milk. 
There  is  a  pot  of  coffee. 
The  flat  bread  lies  on  a  mat. 
The  people  sit  cross-legged  on  the  ground. 
There   are   the    father   and    the  mother  and 

one  little  girl  and  two  little  boys. 


BEDOUINS 


37 


All   the   people   take   meat   in   their   hands. 

They  all  drink  the  sour  milk. 

They  like  it. 

They  dip  the  dates  into  butter. 

They  have  not  eaten  to-day. 

They  never  eat  any  breakfast  or  dinner  but 

only  supper. 
After  supper  they  lie  down  on  the  floor  and 

go  to  sleep. 


38 


wea\i:rs  a\d  other  workers 


Copyright  by  I  ndcrwood  A  Inderwood.  N.Y. 


VI  I.     Moving 
It  is  morning,  and  everybody  is  up. 
The  Chief  says:   "The   pools  are  dry.     The 

grass  is  dead.     We  must  move  to-day." 
Women  take  down  the  tents. 
They  tie  the  cloth  around  the  poles. 
They  tie  the  dishes  together. 
They  take  oats  and  barley  from  a  hole  in 

the  ground. 


BEDOUINS  39 

They  tie  them  up  in  a  cloth. 

They  put  water  into  goat-skin  bags. 

"We  must  carry  water  to  drink,"  they  say. 

Men  tie  these  things  upon  the  camels. 

They  put  saddles  upon   the  camels  for  the 

women    to    ride,    and  a    man    rides    on 

every  camel. 
He  drives  it  with  a  little  stick. 
The  boys  walk. 

They  drive  the  goats  and  sheep. 
Some  men  ride  the  horses. 
They  carry  guns  and  are  ready  to  fight. 
They  will  keep  the  women  and  herds  safe. 
They  ride  for  a  long  time. 
The  sand  is  dry,  and  the  sun  is  hot. 
The  horses  are  tired. 
The  people  drink   water  from   the   goat-skin 

bags. 
Sometimes    the    women     walk     beside     the 

camels. 
They  spin  as  they  walk. 


Copyright  by  Underwood  &  Underwood.  N.Y. 

'THEY  RIDE  FOR  A  LONG  TIME" 


40 


BEDOUINS 


41 


Eugene  J.  Hall 


At  last  they  see  trees. 
All  the  people  shout  with  joy. 
They  ride  to  the  trees. 
There   is   a  well  here. 
Grass  grows  in  the  shade. 
The  Chief  says:   "We  will  camp  here." 
Everybody  gets  down. 
All  the  people  work  busily. 
The  men   take  their  things  off  the  camels. 
The    boys   drive    the    goats  and  horses  and 
sheep  to  grass. 


42  11 /;. I r/;A\s-  .wn  other  workers 

Tlic   women   put   up   llic   U'lils. 

Thr\-    i;ct    wood   and    build    lirc^. 

They  take  a  piece  of  steel  and   a  hard  stone 

and  strike  them  together. 
A  spark  comes  and  catches  the   wood. 
The  fire   is  made. 

The  women  bring  water  from  the  well. 
They    get   supper. 

\^III.     Herding 

There  is  not  much  grass  near  the  tent. 

The  men  say:  "Leave  this  grass  for  the  horses 
and  sheep.  We  will  take  the  camels 
away.     They   will    eat   anything." 

So  they  drive  the  camels  ofY. 

They   go   a   long  way. 

At  last  they  cannot  see  the  tents. 

The  camels  eat,  and  the  men  watch  them. 

It  is  not   much   work. 

They  sit  down. 

They  sing  songs. 


BEDOUINS 


43 


Brown  Bros. 


They  tell  stories. 

At  night  the  camels  lie  down. 

They  will  not  run  away. 

The  men  lie  on  the  ground. 

They  put  the  blankets  around  them. 

It  is  very  still. 

They  look  up  at  the  sky. 

It  is  dark  blue  and   full   of  stars. 

The  stars  are  very  big  and  bright. 


11  ]u-:.\\i-:rs  .wd  otiii-.r  workers 

Tlu'  men  .ltInt  iKinit's  to   Ihrni. 
Tlu'>-   U'll   stories  about    tlu'iii. 
'Flux-    l()\i'    thcni. 

IX.      In   a   Town 

Hut    the'    other    people    slay    in    their    tents 

'rhe\-   li\-e  here   for  a   week. 

They  cut  the  wool  from   the  sheep   and  the 

goats  and   the  camels. 
They  tie  it  in  bundles. 
Then  the  grass  is  gone. 
The  well   is  dry,  and  there  is  no  rain. 
The    Chief    says:     ''All    the    grass    is    dead. 

All  the  wells  are  dry.     There  is  nothing 

but    sand    and    stones.     We   will    go    to 

town    and    sell    our    wool." 
They  send   for  the   men  with  the  camels  to 

come  back. 
So  they  all  move  again. 
They  go  to  a  little  town  by  a  river. 
They  put  up  their  tents  there. 


BEDOUINS 


45 


Eugene  J.  Hall 


They  sell  their  wool 

They  buy  wheat  and  dates  and  coffee. 

They  stay  for  two  months. 

At  last  it  rains  again. 

The  Chief  says:     'T  can  smell  green  things 
In  our  desert  the   grass   is  green.     The 
flowers  are  growing.     The  pools  are  full 
of  water.     We  will  go  back." 


46  ]v/:wi:rs  wp  other  workers 

Tlu'V    take   down    tluir    U'lits    and   pack   the 

canu'ls  and   rick'  a\va>'. 
So  thi'v  nu)\-c  all   the  time. 

X.     \  Visitor 

Ol'U'n   these  people  have  visitors. 

When  a  strani^er  comes  he  goes  to  the  big- 
gest  tent. 

The  Chief  lives  there. 

The  Chief  sees  the  stranger  and  goes  to 
him. 

Me  says:     "Welcome.     Are  you  well?" 

He  takes  the  stranger  into  his  tent. 

He  says:  "My  tent  is  your  tent.  My 
bread  is  your  bread.  You  are  my 
friend." 

The  stranger  eats  and  sleeps  in  the  Chief's 
tent. 

He  stays  there  for  a  long  time. 

He  is  poor,  and  the  Chief  gives  him  blankets. 

After  a  while  another  man  comes. 


BEDOUINS 


47 


Jpii'l^B 

r,)pyri!:ht.  I'jlT.  by    K.y,-<luiu-  Vi.-w  f'o. 


He  says  to  the  Chief:  "This  man  is  a  bad 
man.     I  will  drive  him  away." 

The  Chief  says:  ''No.  He  has  slept  in  my 
tent.  He  has  eaten  my  bread  and  salt. 
No  man  shall  hurt  him." 

So  the  stranger  is  safe. 


48 


WHAVliRS  A\D   OTHER    WORKERS 


Copyright  by  Underwooil  A-  rn.lcrwootl.  N.Y. 


XI.     Work  and  Play 
The  boys  and  girls  have  work  to  do. 
The  girls  milk  the  goats. 
They  get  wood  and  carry  water  and  churn. 


BEDOUINS  49 

They  learn  to  spin  and  to  cook. 

The    boys   milk    the   camels    and   drive    the 

herds. 
Sometimes   they   take   care   of   the  herds  at 

night. 
But  they  play  games,  too. 
This  is  one  of  their  games: 
The  boys  black  their  faces. 
They  tie  wool  to  their  chins. 
It  looks  like  beards. 
One  boy  has  a  very  large  beard. 
He  is  the  Chief. 
The  boys  all  go  to  some  tent. 
They  play  they   are   black  men   from  a   far 

country. 
They  look  at  things  in  the  tent. 
They  play  that  they  do  not  know  what  the 

things  are. 
They  talk  about  them. 
They  make  up  words. 
Then  they  run  off. 


50  W'EAVIiRS   AM)   OTHER    WORKERS 

They  li:i\(.'  anothrr  i^aiiic. 

Thoy   pla\-    it  al'trr  supper. 

Il   is  not  hot   thi'ii. 

All  the  children  run  out  of  the  tents. 

The  big  girls  sit  on  the  sand  and  sing. 

LiUle    boys    and    girls    i)lay    that    they    are 

horses. 
Kvery    little    boy    gets    a    little  girl. 
They  take  hold  of  hands. 
They  play    that  they  are  a   pair  of  horses. 
They  run,  they  jump,  they  kick,  they  neigh. 
They  chase  other  horses. 
Other  horses  chase  them. 
They   play    for  a   long   time. 
At  last  they  are  tired  and  lie  down  on  the 

sand. 
The  boys  like  to  play  war. 
They  get  upon  horses  and   make  them  run. 
They   take   long   lances   and   wave    them    in 

the  air. 
One  boy  runs  at  another  boy. 


BEDOUINS  51 

He  tries  to  push  him  off  his  horse. 
He  hits  him  with  his  lance. 
Then  he  turns  his  horse  and  runs  away. 
He  must  not  let  the  other  boy  hit  him. 
They  must  be  very  quick. 
Sometimes  a  boy  falls  from  his  horse. 
The  other  boys  laugh  at  him. 
Their  fathers  and  mothers  watch  them. 
They  say:  ''They  can  ride.     They  are  strong. 
They  will  be  brave." 

Xn.     Story  of  Tellal 
Tellal  was  a  Bedouin  boy. 
He  was  twelve  years  old. 
His  father  was  Chief. 
There  were  many  tents  in  the  village  where 

he    lived. 
Many  people  lived  in  the  tents. 
One  night  Tellal's  people  were  asleep. 
Other  men  came. 
They  were  very  still. 


52  \vi:a\i:rs  axd  otiii:r  workers 

They   drove  away  the  shi^'p  :\\u\  canu-ls  of 

Trllal's  i^coplc. 
In  the  morning  Trllal's  people  could  not  find 

their  sheep  and  camels. 
The  people  said:  "Who  did  it?" 
Alter   a    while   they   found    out. 
Then   they  said:    "We    will    have   war.     We 

will  get  our  sheep  and  camels  back." 
The    Chief    said:    "Yes,    take     your    guns. 

Get  upon  your  horses.     Tellal,  get  your 

gun.     You  shall  be  captain." 
Tellal  shouted  with  joy. 
He   jumped   upon  his  horse  and   made  him 

run. 
He  shook  his  long  gun. 
He  cried  to  the  men:     "Come  on." 
The  men  followed  him. 
They  made  their  horses  run. 
They  rode  across  the  desert  to  the  village. 
They    had    the    war. 
They  brought  their  sheep  and  camels  home. 


BEDOUINS 


53 


The  people  shouted:     "Tellal  is  a  brave  cap- 
tain.    He  shall  be  our  Chief  sometime." 


54 


Ul-AVIiRS   A\D   OTHER    WORKERS 


THE   SHEPHERDESS 

The  shepherd  girl  walks  over  the  hill. 

Her  sheep  walk  slowly  with  her. 

Her  distaff  is  under  her  arm. 

Her  spindle  is  whirling  from  her  hand, 

As  she  spins  she  sings: 

"Up  and  down,  and  up  and  down — 
How  many  turns  ere  I  come  to  town? 

Round  and  round,  and  round  and  round - 
Was  greater  pleasure  ever  found? 

Out  and  in,  and  out  and  in — 
What  do  they  do  who  cannot  spin?" 


•HER  SPINDLE  IS  WHIRLING  FROM  HER  HAND' 


55 


56 


WEAVERS  AXD  OTHER    WORKERS 


BABY'S  EVENING-SONG 

Now  the  little  white  sheep, 
And  the  little  black  sheep — 
They  have  all  gone  to  sleep 
In  the  fold. 

Nothing  is  black, 

Nothing  is  white 

When  the  kind  old  Night  — 

Hides  them  all  out  of  sight 

In  the  fold. 


BABY'S  EVENING-SONG  57 

And  the  little  children  too, 
Must  do  as  little  lambs  do; 
They  must  all  go  to  sleep 
In  the  fold. 

Nothing  is  hungry, 
Nothing  is  cold. 
When  it  once  goes  to  sleep 
In  the  fold. 

Edith  M.  Thomas 

A  PICTURE 
(To  be  read  to  the  children) 
In  sloping  fields  on  narrow  plains, 

The  sheep  were  feeding  on  their  knees, 
As  we  went  through  the  winding  lanes. 
Strewed  with  red  buds  of  alder  trees. 

Jean  Ingelow 


5S  M7;.n7;/v\s  .wd  other  workers 

A  LOST  SIIKKP 

A   >lu'pluM'(l   stood   on   Ihi^   niounlnin  side. 

lie   was  countini^  his  sheep. 

One  was  .c^onc. 

Across    the    valley    was    another     mountain 

side. 
There     stood     another     shepherd     with     hib 

sheep. 
The  first  shepherd  called  across  to  him. 
lie    had    to    call    very    loudly    and    slowly, 

because  it  was  far  away. 
He  said,  'T  have  lost  a  sheep.     Is  he   with 

you?" 
"I  will  see,"  called  the  other  shepherd. 
He  counted  his  sheep. 
There  was  one  too  many. 
But  he  could  not  tell  which  was  the  strange 

sheep. 
They  all  looked  alike. 
They  all  had  their  heads  down  eating. 
Then  the  shepherd  gave  his  call. 


A  LOST  SHEEP 


59 


All  his  sheep  knew  that  call. 

They  raised  their  heads. 

But  one  sheep  kept  on  eating. 

The    shepherd    shouted,    "Yes,    I    have    one 

strange  sheep." 
Then  the  other  shepherd  gave  his  call. 
It  floated  softly  across  the  valley. 
The  strange  sheep   heard    it    and    lifted    its 

head. 


O) 


\\i:.\\'i:rs  axd  otiii.r  workers 


Tlu'  shi^phi'i'd   w:is  wiilrhiiiu;. 

IK'  saw   Ilk'  slu-rp  raisi'   its  head. 

1  \c  called.   "  Ik'  is  xours." 

Then    the    other    shepherd    left    his    dog    to 

guard  his  (lock, 
lie    came    across    the    \alley    and    got    his 

lost  sheep. 

SIGiNS  OF  THE  WEATHER 

If  the  ev'ning's  red  and  the  morning's  gray, 
It's  a  sign  of  a  bonny,  bonny  day; 
If  the  ev'ning's  gray  and  the  morning's  red. 
The  ewe  and  the  lamb  will  go  wet  to  bed 

Old  English  Rime 


THE  WELCOME 


61 


THE  WELCOME 

O  you,  you  little  wonder,  come — come  in, 

You  wonderful,  you  woolly  soft  white  lamb: 

You  panting  mother  ewe,  come  too, 

And  lead  that  tottering  twin 

Safe  in: 

Bring  all  your  bleating  kith  and  kin, 

Except  the  horny  ram. 

Christina  G.  Rossetti 


62 


WIiAVliRS  AM)   OTHER    WORKERS 


GIOTTO 
I.     The  Shepherd  Boy 

There  was  a  shepherd  boy  called  Giotto. 

He  lived  in  Italy  long  ago. 

His    father    had    a    little    stone  house  on 

hillside. 
It  was  in  a  little  village  of  stone  houses. 
Below  it  were  green  fields  beside  a  river. 
Above  it  was  the  rocky  hill. 
The  father  worked  in  the  fields  by  the  river. 


a 


GIOTTO  63 

The  boy  Giotto  tended  the  sheep  on  the  hill. 
There  he  lay,  while  the  sheep  ate. 
He  looked  at  the  clouds  in  the  blue  sky. 
He  saw  the  little  houses  and  the  green  fields. 
He  watched  the  sun  set  behind  the  hills. 
He    looked    at    his    sheep    with    their  heads 

down,  eating. 
He    had    nothing  to  do,  and    so  he   took  a 

little    stone    and    scratched    on    a    big 

smooth   rock. 
Sometimes  he  made  only  crooked  marks. 
Sometimes  he  made  pictures  of  his  sheep. 
He  made  them  lying  down. 
He  made  them  running. 
He  made  them  eating. 

n.     The  Stranger 

One  day  a  stranger  came  up   the  hill   on  a 

horse. 
He    saw    the    boy    lying    down    scratching 

with  his  stone. 


64  ]vea\i:rs  .\.\n  o/ii/'.k  workiiRS 

\\v  ViK\v  nc[\v  ;iiul   sl()i)i)i'fl. 

Ilr   1()o1m'(1   :il    the   i)ic'liiics  on   the  rock. 

IK'   \v:itclir(l   ihc  boy  :il    work. 

At  last  hv  said:  "These  are  good  sheep, 
my  boy.  I  make  pictures  myself.  I  am 
an  artist.  I  ha\'e  a  workshop  down  in 
the  city.  Come  down  and  work  with 
me.  I  will  teach  you  to  use  brush  and 
paints.  I  will  show  you  how  to  make 
pictures  of  Christ  and  of  angels." 

Giotto  leaped   up  with  joy. 

Of  course  he  wanted  to  go. 

Of  course  he  wanted  to  learn  to  paint. 

He  and  the  stranger  went  to  his  father. 

They  talked  for  a  long  time. 

At  last  the  father  said,  "Yes." 

Then  Giotto  tied  some  clothes  into  a 
bundle. 

He  kissed  his  father  and  mother  and  started 
for  the  city. 

He  leaped  with  joy  as  he  went  along. 


65 


66  WEAVliNS   AM)   OTHER    WORKERS 

III.      "rill-:   Artist 

Giotto  worked   lor  years  in   the  city. 

He   learned   how   to  paint. 

He  made  very  beautiful  pictures  of  Christ 
and  of  Mary  and  of  angels. 

Bui  he  could  do  other  things  also. 

lie  could  carve  marble. 

He  could  make  buildings. 

He  built  a  beautiful   tower  for  bells. 

He  made  it  of  marble  of  different  colors — 
green,  white,   pink. 

He  built  tall  windows  in  it. 

In  the  walls  he  put  little  pictures  carved 
in   marble. 

One  of  them  is  a  picture  of  a  man  plow- 
ing. 

Another  is  a  picture  of  a  man  sitting  in 
his  tent  door. 

In  front  of  him  are  his  sheep. 

They  are  walking  on  a  hillside. 

His  dog  is  watching  them. 


GIOTTO 


67 


I  think  that  when  Giotto  made  those  pic- 
tures he  was  thinking  of  his  old  home, 
his  sheep,  and  his  father's  fields. 


r>8  Wl-.WI-KS   AM)   OTHER    WORKERS 

'VWK   PASSIONATE  SHEPHERD 

{To  he  nad  to  the  children) 

Come  live  with  nie.  and  be  my  love; 
And  we  will  all  the  pleasures  prove 
That  hills  and  valleys,  dales  and  fields. 
Woods,  or  steepy  mountain  yields. 

And  we  will  sit  upon  the  rocks, 
Seeing  the  shepherds  feed  their  flocks 
By  shallow  rivers,  to  whose  falls 
Melodious  birds  sing  madrigals. 

And  I  will  make  thee  beds  of  roses. 
And  a  thousand  fragrant  posies; 
A  cap  of  flowers,  and  a  kirtle 
Embroidered  all  with  leaves  of  myrtle; 

A  gown  made  of  the  finest  wool 
Which  from  our  pretty  lambs  we  pull; 
Fair-lined  slippers  for  the  cold. 
With  buckles  of  the  purest  gold, 

A  belt  of  straw  and  ivy-buds, 
With  coral  clasps  and  amber  studs: 
And,  if  these  pleasures  may  thee  move, 
Come  live  with  me,  and  be  my  love. 


THE  PASSIONATE  SHEPHERD 


69 


Thy  silver  dishes  for  thy  meat, 
As  precious  as  the  gods  do  eat, 
Shall  on  an  ivory  table  be 
Prepared  each  day  for  thee  and  me. 


The  shepherd-swains  shall  dance  and  sing 
For  thy  delight  each  May-morning: 
If  these  delights  thy  mind  may  move. 
Then  live  with  me,  and  be  my  love. 

Christopher  Marlowe 


7U 


WK.WKRS   AM)   OTHER    WORKERS 


From  a  Copley  Print  copyright  by 
Curtis  &  CameroD.  Publishers,  Boston 


MOTHERLESS   LAMBS 

The  wolves  had  killed  three  of  the  mother 

sheep. 
The  little  lambs  cried  sadly. 
The  kind  shepherd  heard  them  crying. 
He  came  to  them. 
"Are  you  hungry,  little  lambs?"  he  said. 


MOTHERLESS  LAMBS  71 

"There  are  no  mothers  to  feed  you." 

He    took   them    into    his   arms   and    carried 

them  to  his  house. 
He   warmed   some   milk   and    put  it  into   a 

bottle. 
He  fed  the  lambs  from  this  bottle  as  though 

they  had  been  babies. 
He    put    warm    straw    over    them    and    left 

them  in  his  house. 
"Sleep  warm,  little  lambs,"  he  said. 
"The  wind  is  cold  outside." 
Then  he  went  back  to  the  flock  in  the  field. 
Twice  again  that  day  he  came  to  the  house 

and  fed  the  little  motherless  things. 
So  he  did  for  many  days. 
The   lambs   would   jump  up  and  cry  when 

he  came  in. 
They  would  follow  him  about,  bleating. 
They    would    rub    their    noses    against    his 

hand. 
"They  think  I  am  their  mother,"  he  laughed. 


\\i:A\i:KS   A\D   OTHER    WORKERS 


A    CHILL 

What  can  lambkins  do 
All  the  keen  night  through? 
Nestle  by  their  woolly  mother, 
The  careful  ewe. 

What  can  nestlings  do 
In  the  nightly  dew? 
Sleep  beneath  their  mother's  wing 
Till  day  breaks  anew. 

If  in  field  or  tree 
There  might  only  be 
Such  a  warm  soft  sleeping-place 
Found  for  me! 

Christina  G.  Rossetti 


SHEPHERDS'  JOYS 


73 


SHEPHERDS'   JOYS 

Shepherds  on  the  hillside,  playing  pipes, 
Calling  to  each  other  through  your  pipes. 
Looking  at  your  sheep  and  at  the  rocks, 
Looking  at  the  hills  and  at  the  trees. 
Looking  at  the  valleys  down  below. 

And  making  up  tunes  on  your  pipes, 

Looking  at  the  craggy  mountain  side 

And  looking  at  the  stars  at  night, 

Looking  at  the  deep,  blue  sky, 

And  looking  at  the  moon  among  the  clouds — 

How  sweet  is  the  life  of  the  shepherd! 

Written  by  a  second  grade 


71 


\vi:a\i-:rs  axd  other  workers 


HAPPY  FAMILIES 

On  the  grassy  banks 
Lambkins  at  their  pranks; 
Woolly  sisters,  woolly  brothers 

Jumping  off  their  feet 
While  their  woolly  mothers 

Watch  by  them  and  bleat. 

Christina  G.  Rossetti 


MY  MOTHER'S  STORIES 


75 


MY    MOTHER'S   STORIES 
I.    Sheep  Washing 

When    I    was   a    little    girl    I    used    to    like 

sheep-shearing  time. 
It  was  in  spring. 
The  days  were  warm. 
The  sheep   did   not  need  their  thick  winter 

wool. 
It  began  to  come  out. 


7u  \vi:.\\'i-:rs  .wn  i)Tui:r  workers 

When   I   phnrd  in   Ihc  woods   I   often  found 

locks  of  it  on  the  bushes. 
"We    must    not    h)se    any   more    wool,"    my 

father  said  when  he  saw  it. 
"We  must  do  our  shearing." 
The    men   put    on    their    high    rubber    boots 

and  went  down  to  the  creek. 
We  children  ran  along  to  w^atch. 
We  liked  the  fun. 
The   brook   ran   through   the   pasture  in  the 

woods. 
The  sheep  were  running  among  the  trees. 
There  was  a  little  pen  near  the  brook. 
The  men  drove  the  sheep  into  this  pen  and 

shut  them  in. 
One  man  waded  out  into  the  brook. 
"All  ready,"  he  said. 
Then  another  man   opened    the  gate   of  the 

pen. 
He  drove  one  sheep  out  and  into  the  water. 
The  man  in  the  brook  caught  it. 


MY  MOTHER'S  STORIES  77 

He  held  it  between  his  knees  in  the  water. 
He  washed  the  wool  and  squeezed  it  in  his 

hands. 
He   pulled  out  burs  and  straws  and  sticks 

from  the  wool. 
The  sheep  in  the  water  was  very  still. 
When    the    man    thought    the    sheep    was 

clean   he    let   it   go. 
Off  it  ran  mto  the  woods,  bleating. 
The  man  in  the  pen  sent  out  another  sheep 

into  the  water. 
Soon  the  sheep  were  all  washed. 
They  ran  about  in  the  woods. 
We  children  liked  that  time  best. 
What  a  noise! 
What  a  running  about! 
Mothers   had    lost   their   lambs,    and    lambs 

had  lost  their  mothers. 
They    ran    about    the    woods,    bleating,     to 

call  each  other. 
When  they  met  they  were  very  happy. 


f 'opU->-  I'ririt  copyright  by 
■  <  aiiiiron,  Publinbera,  Boston 


SHEARING  THE  SHEEP 


78 


MY  MOTHER'S  STORIES  79 

The    mothers    rubbed    the    little    ones    with 

their  noses. 
The  lambs  danced  around  their  mothers. 
It  was  a  very  pretty  sight. 
We  children  laughed  with  joy. 

IL    Sheep  Shearing 

After    two   or    three    days    the    sheep    were 

dry. 
The  boys  swept  the  barn  floor  clean. 
They    drove    all    the   sheep    into    the    front 

barnyard. 
Father    took    down    the    sheep   shears    from 

the  shed  and  went  to  the  barn. 
''Come  on,"  he  called  when  he  was  ready. 
The  boys  drove  a  sheep  into  the  barn. 
Father   caught    it    and    put   it    between    his 

knees. 
Sometimes  the  sheep  tried  to  get  away. 
So  father  tied  its  legs  together. 
Then  it  had  to  lie  quiet. 


8()  \\]:a\i:rs  axd  other  workers 

Clip.  c\\\),  wont   tho  shears. 

The  thick  wool   lx\i;"an  to  roll  off. 

It  was  matted  together. 

It  came  off  in  one  piece. 

It  looked  like  a  whole  skin  as  it  lay  on 
the  floor. 

When  it  was  all  cut  off,  one  of  the  boys 
tied  it  into  a  roll. 

Father  untied  the  sheep's  legs. 

It  ran  out  into  the  other  barnyard,  bleat- 
ing for  its  friends. 

The  sheared  sheep  looked  very  funny. 

Its  legs  were  like  little  sticks. 

Its  pink  skin  showed  through  its  short  hair. 

The  boys  drove  another  sheep  in. 

Off  came  its  wool. 

So  father  sheared  all  the  sheep. 

He  looked  at  the  pile  of  wool  in  the  barn> 

"Well,"  he  said,  "that  will  make  us  all 
the  clothes  we  need.  I  think  we  shall 
have  some  to  sell." 


UP!     UP!    YE  DAMES,  AND  LASSES  GAY!       81 


UP!    UP!    YE   DAMES,   AND  LASSES  GAY! 

{To  be  read  to  the  children) 

Up,  up!  ye  dames,  and  lasses  gay! 
To  the  meadows  trip  away. 
'T  is  you  must  tend  the  flocks  this  morn, 
And  scare  the  small  birds  from  the  corn. 
Not  a  soul  at  home  may  stay: 
For  the  shepherds  must  go 
With  lance  and  bow 
To  hunt  the  wolf  in  the  woods  to-day. 

Leave  the  hearth  and  leave  the  house 
To  the  cricket  and  the  mouse: 
Find  grannam  out  a  sunny  seat. 
With  babe  and  lambkin  at  her  feet. 
Not  a  soul  at  home  may  stay: 

For  the  shepherds  must  go 

With  lance  and  bow 

To  hunt  the  wolf  in  the  woods  to-day. 

S.  T.  Coleridge 


Copyright  by  t'Ddcrwood  4  Underwood.  N.Y. 

■THE  LAMBKIN  TOTTERING  IN  ITS  WALK" 


82 


SNOWDROP  AND  LAMB 


83 


SNOWDROP   AND   LAMB 

The  lambkin  tottering  in  its  walk 
With  just  a  fleece  to  wear; 

The  snowdrop  drooping  on  its  stalk 
So  slender, — 

Snowdrop  and  lamb,  a  pretty  pair, 

Braving  the  cold  for  our  delight, 

Both  white, 

Both  tender. 

Christina  G.  Rossetti 


81  WI-.W'liRS   AM)   OTHER    WORKERS 

AX  OLO  FASMIOXKO  EVENING 

^'ou^  grcal-tirandniothcr  lived  in  a  log 
house. 

There  was  a  big  fireplace  in  it. 

Hie  fire  made  the  room  light  and  warm. 

In  the  evening  the  people  all  sat  around 
the  fireplace. 

Vour  great-grandfather  was  mending  wool- 
cards. 

Your  great-grandmother  was  spinning. 

The  big  wheel  went  "Whir!     Whir!" 

Your  grandmother  was  a  little  girl,  but 
she  could  card  wool. 

"Scratch!     Scratch!"  went  the  cards. 

She  made  many  soft  rolls. 

She  hung  them  over  a  line. 

Your  great-grandmother  took  them  one  ai 
a  time  and  spun  them  into  yarn. 

Your  great-aunt  was  a  big  girl. 

She  could  weave. 

Her  loom  sat  in  a  dark  corner. 


AN  OLD-FASHIONED  EVENING 


85 


She  was  winding  bobbins  with  yarn. 

Your  great-uncle  was  a  baby. 

He  was  creeping  on  the  floor. 

"Goo,  goo!"  he  said. 

Splash!     Splash! 

Your    great-grandmother    stopped    spinning 

and  looked. 
"Oh,  oh!"  she  said.    "John  is  in  the  indigo 

tub." 


86  H7:.H7:A'.S    AM)   OTUEU    WORKERS 

Till-:  spix.\1':r 

The  spokes  arc  all  a  blur, 
The  little  wheel   cioes  "Purr," 
The  spinner's  wheel  goes  "Whir!' 
I   think  it  talks  to  her. 

I   watch  the  running  band, 
And  the  spinner's  moving  hand, 
And  try  to  understand 
Her  every  command. 

But  when  I  take  the  thread 
And  back  and  forward  tread, 
They  all  go  out  of  my  head 
And  leave  me  afraid  instead. 

And  the  thread  gets  full  of  knots 
And  funny  slender  spots, 
And  the  spinner  says,  "Lots 
Too  hard  for  little  tots." 


"THE  THREAD  GETS  FULL  OF  KNOTS" 


87 


88  \\1':a\/:rs  am)  other  workers 

NAVAJO  WORKERS 

I.      Tin;   \\i:\\i;r 

A     \a\'aj()    woman    is    sitting    outside    her 

house. 
The  sun  is  very  bright. 
The  ground  is  bare  and  hot. 
Little  bushes  grow  here  and  there. 
In  the  distance  sheep  and  goats  are  eating 

the  leaves  of  the  bushes. 
A  man  lies  watchmg  them. 
He  has  a  bright  blanket  under  him. 
Far  off  are  red  hills  of  stone. 
A    few    trees    grow    m    the    shade    of  these 

hills. 
The  woman  turns  to  her  work. 
A  loom  hangs  before  her. 
Many  little  balls  of  yarn  hang  from  it. 
She  is  weaving  a  blanket. 
Across  the  end  of  it  she    has    made    a    line 

of  mountains. 
Above  them  she  is  making  double  mountains. 


Brown  Bros. 


"ABOVE  THEM  SHE  IS  MAKING  DOUBLE  MOUNTAINS' 


89 


90  \\'i:a\i:rs  am)  onu-u  workers 

Inside  the  house  oilier  blankets  are  han.uing 

over  a  \)o\v. 
Skeins  of  bright  yarn  hang  on  the  wall. 

II.     The  vSpinner 

Another  woman  is  spinning. 

She  rolls  her  little  spindle  on  her  knee. 

It  is  full  of  white  yarn. 

A  pile  of  wool  lies  near  her. 

The  weaver  says:  "The  bushes  are  bare. 
The  sheep  can  get  no  leaves.  We  must 
move  soon." 

"Yes,"  the  spinner  says,  "to-morrow  the  men 
will  thresh  the  wheat.     Then  we  will  go." 

*Tt  will  be  a  long  journey,"  the  weaver  says. 

"Yes,"  says  the  spinner.  "The  next  water 
is  far  away." 

"I  cannot  weave  for  many  days,"  the 
weaver  says.  "I  fear  that  I  shall  for- 
get my  pattern.  The  last  time  we 
moved  I  lost  my  yellow  yarn." 


NAVAJO   WORKERS  91 

III.     The  Dyer 
Now  another  woman  comes  to  the  house. 
She  has  been  to  the  red  hills. 
She  has  a  big  basket  full  of  leaves. 
She  drops  it  and  sits  down. 
"Oh!"  she  says,  "the  sun  is  very  hot.    But 

here    are    the    peach    leaves    for    your 

yellow  dye." 
She  gets  up  and  goes  into  the  house. 
She  takes  a  big  kettle  from  a  corner. 
She  puts  the  peach  leaves  into  it. 
She  takes  it  to  the  spring  and  fills  it  with 

water. 
Then  she  hangs  it  upon  a  stick  and  makes 

a  fire  under  it. 
"Take  the  yarn  off  your  spindle,"  she  says 

to  the  spinner.     "I  will  dye  it  soon." 

IV.  A  Trade 
A  man  rides  up  on  a  horse. 
"Some     Pueblos     are     coming,"     he     says. 


92 


\yi:.\vi-:Rs  axd  othicr  workiiRS 


•^A 


^»    . 


^^'^fm 


'^.sr 


"They  have  their   horses  loaded   with  jars. 

They  will   trade   for  blankets." 
"Good!"    the    women    say.      "Now    for    a 

good    trade." 
They    get    all    their     blankets    and    spread 

them  out. 
They  need  clay  jars,  but  they  cannot  make 

them. 
The    Pueblos    make    jars,    but   they   cannot 

make  blankets.     So  they  trade. 


NAVAJO  DESIGNS  93 

NAVAJO  DESIGNS 

Navajo    weavers    make     pictures    in    their 

blankets. 
They    make     clouds     and     mountains    and 

houses. 
But    they    cannot    make    the    pictures    just 

like  the  things. 
They  cannot  weave  curved  lines. 
They  must  change  the  shapes. 
These  are  some  of  the  pictures  they  make: 

jii^fc-     is  a  mountain, 

is  waves, 

is  a  cloud, 

is  a  mist  rising. 

is  lightning. 

is  houses  in  a  village. 

is  a  whirlwind, 
is  the  four  winds, 
says,   **An  enemy  has  crossed  our 
trail." 


A 
■ 
+ 


94 


\\i:a\i:rs  axd  otiiiir  workf.rs 


^^^^      '"fl^B^^^I 

1 

1 

■■ 

1 

1 

1 

B^PK ' 

^  ^H^^H^^^^^^H 

1 

1 

From  a  Coploy  Prim  ropyriKht  by  Curtis  .t  Cam 

ron,  I 

ul.Iislu 

rs.  Biwton 

NAVAJO  SHEPHERDS 
The  Navajo  Indians  have  many  sheep. 
They  want  to  take  good  care  of  the  sheep. 
So   every  shepherd   cuts   a    little    sheep   out 

of  stone. 
He  puts  it  into  a  little  bag. 
He  hangs  it  around  his  neck.     He  says: 
"This    will    make    my   sheep   safe.     It   will 
keep  wolves  away.     It  will   keep  sick- 
ness away.     It  will  bring  little  lambs." 


A  PERSIAN  DYER  95 

A  PERSIAN  DYER 

I.     How  He  Looks 

A    Persian    dyer    stands    in    front    ot    his 

dye-house. 
It  is  only  a  little  wooden  shed. 
But  he  is  a  proud  man. 
His    father    and    his    grandfather    and    his 

great-grandfather  were  dyers. 
They  knew  the  secrets  of  making  wonderful 

dyes. 
This  dyer  learned  all  these  secrets  from  his 

father. 
He  can  make  beautiful  colors. 
His  hands  are  blue  with  dye. 
His  baggy  trousers  are  spotted  with  red. 
His    face    and    turban    are    streaked    with 

purple. 
His  bare   feet   are  splashed  with  green  and 

yellow. 
But  he  is  proud  of  that. 
He  points  to  the  spots. 


^r.  WIi.WKRS  AM)   OTHER    WORKERS 


"See  my  beautiful  colors,"  he  says.     **I  can 
make  them  all.     Come  in  and  see." 


A   PERSIAN  DYER  97 

II.     His  Work 
The  little  shed  is  crowded  inside. 
There  are  many  baskets  and  little  jars  on 

shelves. 
They    are    full    of    onions    and    beets    and 

berries  and  roots  and  leaves. 
All  these  things  are  used  to  make  dyes. 
Big  copper  kettles  are  hanging  over  fires. 
Dyes  are  boiling  in  them. 
Many  big  clay  jars  sit  against  the  walls. 
They  are  full  of  dye. 
The  dyes  are  of  many  different  colors. 
Yarn  hangs  above  them,  dripping. 
The  dyer  feels  of  some  red  yarn. 
**This  is  ready,"  he  says. 
He  takes  it  down  and  carries  it  to  the  end 

of  the  shed. 
There  is  a  ladder  to  the  roof. 
He  goes  up  the  ladder. 
On  top  the  roof  is  flat  and  sunny. 
There  are  poles  for  hanging  yarn  to  dry. 


m 


1  \  ■/•;.  1 1  7;a\s'  .  1  a  / )  oil  I  i:r  wo  r  a  ers 


^';l^lls  of  nKin\-  colors  h:in,u;  on   llk'Hi. 

lie  hallos  up  the  rud  yarn. 

lie  sits  clown  by  it. 

IK'  watches  it  all  the  time. 

One  minute  too  lont^^  would  spoil  it. 

"The  sun   is   not   too    hot,"    the    dyer  says. 

"The    wind    is    ri.cjht.      My    color    will     be 

beautiful." 
After  a  while  he  takes  it  down. 
'It    is    done,"    he    says.     "It    is    the    most 

beautiful  red  in  Persia." 


DYEING   CLOTH  99 

DYEING  CLOTH 

We  wanted  to  dye  cloth  for  weaving  rugs. 
We    put    a    teaspoonful    of   cream    of   tartar 

into  a  bag. 
We  put  a  teaspoonful    of   cochineal    and    a 

teaspoonful  of  alum  into  the  bag. 
Then  we  put  the  bag  into  a   pan   of  water. 
We  let  the  water  boil. 
After  a  while  we   took  the   bag  out  of  the 

water. 
The  water  was  red. 
This  was  the  dye. 

Then  we  put  our  cloth  into  the  dye  to  boil. 
When  we  took  it  out  it  was  red. 
We  used  many  other  things  for  dyes. 
Walnut  hulls  made  a  brown  dye. 
Fustic  made  a  yellow  dye. 
Blackberries  made  a  red  dye. 
Red  cabbage  with  alum  made  a  red  dye. 
Red  cabbage  with  cream  of  tartar  made  a 

blue  dye. 

Written  by  a  second  grade 


•IN  THE  MIDDLE  IS  A  TREE' 
100 


A  PERSIAN   WEAVER  101 

A  PERSIAN  WEAVER 
A  Persian  weaver  is  weaving  a  rug. 
Nahid  is  her  name. 
Another  rug  hangs  on  the  wall. 
Nahid  likes  to  look  at  it. 
It  is  soft  and  fine. 
It  is  very  beautiful. 
There  is  a  vine  around  the  edge. 
In  the  middle  is  a  tree. 
There  are  many  lovely  flowers  on  the  branches 

of  the  tree. 
It  is  a  very  old  rug. 
It  has  hung  on  the  wall  a  long  time. 
The   weaver's  great-grandmother  made  this 

old  rug. 
Now  the  weaver  is  making  one  like  it. 
It  is  almost  done. 
''This  is  my  last  row,"  she  says. 
When   the   rug  is  done,  Nahid    looks   at   it 

lovingly. 
''You  are  very  beautiful,"  she  says. 


102         \\i:.\\'j:i<s  am)  otiu-.r  workers 

She  rubs   her  hand  oNer  it. 

"\'(>u    arc    very     soft.      Vou     are     made    of 

lambs'   wool. 
"My  husband  spun  the  yarn,  and  my  father 

dyed   it. 
"I  wish   I   could   keep   you.     1    lo\c   you   so 

much. 
"But  you  will  brine;  me  much  money. 
"I    wonder    who    will    buy   you.     Will    your 

new   master    love    you?     I   will    send   a 

letter  to  him." 
She  goes  to  a  wise  man  in  the  village. 
"Write  me  a  letter,"  she  says  to  him. 
"Say,    'Be    kind    to    me.     Nahid    took    four 

years  to  make  me.'  " 
The  man  writes  the  letter. 
The  woman   takes   it  home    and  sews  it  to 

her  rug. 
"I  wish  you  good   luck,  my  beautiful  rug," 

she  says. 
And  then  she  has  to  sell  it. 


A  RUG  FAIR 


103 


A  RUG  FAIR 

I.     The  Ride 

Many  Persian  weavers   do   not   live   in   big 

cities. 
Some  live  in  tents  in  the  mountains. 
Many  live  in  clay  houses  in  little  villages. 
The  men  are  shepherds  and  dyers. 
The  women  weave  rugs. 
These  people  seldom  see  big  cities. 
But  sometimes  the  men  go  to  fairs. 


lai         m7;.M7;a\s-  .wd  otiuir  workers 

They  go  to  srll   their  rugs. 

They  take  the  rugs  from   their  village  and 

roll   them  up. 
They  tie  the  rolls  to  their  camels. 
They   ride    for    many    days.     The   city   is   a 

long  way  from  their  village. 
They  meet  other  men  who  are  going  to  the 

fair. 
The  roads  are  full  of  horses  and  mules  and 

camels. 

II.     At  the  Inn 

At  night  they  stop  at  inns. 

The  inn  is  a  big,  low  house. 

There  is  a  yard  in  the  middle. 

There  are  rooms  around  the  sides. 

The  yard  is  full   of  camels  and  horses  and 

mules. 
The  men  make  a  bonfire  in  the  courtyard. 
They  sit  around  it  and  talk  and  sing. 
Some  men  tell  stories. 


A  RUG   FAIR  105 

Some  men  play  tricks. 

They  all  dance  and  run  races  and  shoot  at 
a  mark. 

III.     The  Fair 

The  next  day  they  all  go  on  again. 

At  last  they  come  to  a  big  city. 

Here  is  the  rug  market. 

The  men  leave  their  horses  at  an  inn 

They  take  their  rugs  to  the  market. 

It  is  an  open  square. 

There  are  houses  around  the  sides. 

The  men  unroll  their  rugs. 

They    lay    them    on    the    ground    or    hang 

them  on  the  walls. 
There  are  thousands  of  other  rugs. 
Many  men  are  looking  at  them. 
Some  have  come  to  sell  their  rugs. 
Some  have  come  from  big  cities  to  buy. 
They  look  at  the  rugs  and  feel  of  them. 
Everybody  is  talking. 


llKi 


WEAVERS  AXD   OTHER    WORKERS 


Copyright  by  I'nderwood  &  Underwood,  N.Y. 


After  a  few  days  the  rugs  are  all  sold. 
Then  the  fair  is  over,  and  the  men  go  home. 


THE  OLD  WEAVER  107 

THE  OLD  WEAVER 

"O  weaver,  pray  what  do  you  see  all  day? 
Your    fingers    are    busy    with    shuttle    and 

thread, 
Your  stamping  feet  make  the  heddles  play. 
But    what    are    you    doing    inside    of    your 

head?" 

"My  child,   I    am  holding  a  weavers'  show, 
A  thousand  looms  are  set  up  in  a  street; 
A  thousand  wonderful  weavers  go 
From  loom  to  loom  with  lingering  feet. 

And  every  weaver  's  a  dress  of  his  own — 
A  Turk  with  his  fez,  an  Arab  white, 
A  blanketed  Indian  stalking  alone, 
A  tapestry  lady  led  by  her  knight, 

A  weaver  from  India  bearing  a  shawl, 
A    woman    from    Switzerland     leading    her 
goat, 


108         \\i:.\\i-:rs  a.\J)  otiu-r  workers 

\(>ur  urralcst  i^rcnl-grandmama   dressed   for 

a  ball. 
And   I  in  my  baggy  old  breeches  and  coat. 

And    whatever    you    want    you    can    see   on 

those  looms, 
Fine  ladies  from  China,  a  Persian  tree, 
The    lilies    of    France,    and    Japan's    peach 

blooms. 
It 's  the  finest  show  you  could  wish  to  see." 


FOR   TEACHERS 


Till-:  LITTLE  BROOK  OX  JOHN'  RIDDS  FARM 
110 


I.    STORIES 

To  be  read  or  told  to  the  children 

THE  GREAT   WINTER 

John  Ridd  was  a  large,  strong  man,  an  English 
farmer  long  ago.  On  his  farm  were  hills  and  rocks 
and  meadows,  and  a  little  brook  running  through  it. 
There  was  a  broad,  snug  old  house  of  stone  and  a  wide, 
low  barn  and  many  little  buildings  here  and  there. 
And  there  were  horses  and  cattle  in  the  barn  and 
hundreds  of  fowls  in  the  fowl  yard  and  sheep  in  the 
meadow,  and  they  all  had  the  best  of  care.  But  one 
autumn,  early,  there  came  in  the  night  a  piercing  cold 
and  a  heavy  snow.  When  John  waked  in  the  morning, 
he  found  his  room  strangely  dark,  and  he  could  not 
see  through  his  windows,  and  feathery  snow  had  blown 
through  the  cracks  and  lay  piled  up  on  the  sill.  A 
look  outside  showed  him  that  all  the  world  was  snow. 
Then  he  thought  of  his  sheep  out  in  the  windy  meadow. 
In  great  haste  he  dressed  and  went  out  and  floundered 
through  the  deep  snow  and  took  a  heavy  staff  from  a 
pile  of  poles  and  called  his  three  men  to  come  and  help. 
And  this  is  the  way  he  tells  the  story  of  their  day's  work : 

With  spades,  and  shovels,  and  pitchforks,  and  a 
round  of  roping,  we  four  set  forth  to  dig  out  the  sheep; 
and  the  poor  things  knew  that  it  was  high  time. 

It  must  have  snowed  most  wonderfully  to  have 
made  that  depth  of  covering  in  about  eight  hours. 

Ill 


iiL'         \\i:.\\i-:rs  wd  oriiKR  workers 

Vox  one  of  the  nu'ii.  who  liad  Ix^en  out  all  night,  said 
that  no  snow  began  to  fall  until  nearly  midnight. 
And  there  it  was  blocking  up  the  doors,  stopping  the 
ways,  and  making  it  very  hard  to  walk.  However, 
we  tnidged  along  on  a  line, —  I  first,  and  the  other  men 
after  me;  tr\'ing  to  keep  my  track,  but  finding  legs  and 
strength  not  up  to  it.  For  all  this  time  it  was  snow^ing 
harder  than  it  ever  had  snowed  before,  so  far  as  a  man 
might  guess  at  it;  and  the  leaden  depth  of  the  sky 
came  down,  like  a  mine  turned  upside  down  on  us. 
Not  that  the  flakes  were  so  large ;  for  I  have  seen  much 
larger  flakes  in  a  shower  of  March,  while  sowing  peas; 
but  that  there  was  no  room  between  them,  neither 
any  stopping,  nor  any  change  of  direction. 

Watch,  like  a  good  and  faithful  dog,  followed  us 
ver>^  cheerfully,  leaping  out  of  the  depth,  which 
already,  even,  took  him  over  the  ears  and  back  even 
in  the  level  places;  Avhile  in  the  drifts  he  might  have 
sunk  to  any  distance  out  of  sight,  and  never  found 
his  way  out  again.  However,  we  helped  him  now  and 
then  especially  through  the  gaps  and  gateways;  and 
so,  after  a  deal  of  floundering,  some  laughter,  and  a 
little  swearing,  we  came  all  safe  to  the  lower  meadow, 
where  most  of  our  flock  w^as  hurdled. 

But  behold,  there  was  no  flock  at  all!  None,  I 
mean,  to  be  seen  anywhere;  only  at  one  comer  of  the 
field,  by  the  eastern  end,  where  the  snow  drove  in, 
a  great  white  billow,  as  high  as  a  barn  and  as  broad 
as  a  house.  This  great  drift  was  rolling  and  curling 
beneath  the  violent  blast.    And  all  the  while  from 


THE  GREAT  WINTER 


113 


- 

— 1 

P 

1 

1 

1 
1 

F  "^ 

x'^ 

^V 

1 

■  y^f* 

^.^ 

-:.-....*.  ...:, 

From  a  Copley  Print  copyright  by  Curtis  &  Cameron.  Publishers,  Boston 


the  smothering  sky,  more  and  more  fiercely  at  every 
blast,  came  the  pelting,  pitiless  arrows,  winged  with 
murky  white,  and  pointed  with  the  barbs  of  frost. 

But  although,  for  people  who  had  no  sheep,  the 
sight  was  a  very  fine  one;  yet  for  us,  with  our  flock 
beneath  it,  this  great  mound  had  but  little  charm. 
Watch  began  to  scratch  at  once,  and  to  howl  along 
the  sides  of  it;  he  knew  that  his  charge  was  buried 
there,  and  his  business  taken  from  him.  But  we  four 
men  set  to  in  earnest,  digging  with  all  our  might  and 
main,  shoveling  away  at  the  great  white  pile,  and  pitch- 
ing it  into  the  meadow.  Each  man  made  for  himself 
a  cave,  scooping  at  the  soft,  cold  snow  which  slid  upon 
him  at  every  stroke,  and  throwing  it  out  behind  him 
in  piles  of  castled  fancy.  At  last  we  drove  our  tunnels 
in  (for  we  worked  indeed  for  the  lives  of  us)  and  all 


Ill  H7:.u7;a'n    \\n  other  workers 

convorgin.i^  toward  tlic  niiddk'.  held  our  tools  and 
listened. 

The  other  men  heard  nothing  at  all;  or  declared 
that  they  heard  nothing,  being  more  anxious  to  abandon 
the  matter,  because  of  the  chill  in  their  feet  and  knees. 
But  I  said,  "Go,  if  you  choose,  all  of  you.  I  will 
work  it  out  by  myself,  you  pie-crusts!"  and  upon  that 
they  gripped  their  shovels,  being  more  or  less  of  English- 
men; and  the  least  drop  of  English  blood  is  worth  the 
best  of  any  other  when  it  comes  to  lasting  out. 

But  before  we  began  again,  I  laid  my  head  well  into 
the  chamber  and  there  I  heard  a  faint  "ma-a-ah," 
coming  through  some  ells  of  snow,  like  a  plaintive 
buried  hope,  or  a  last  appeal.  I  shouted  aloud  to  cheer 
him  up,  for  I  knew  what  sheep  it  was  —  to  wit,  the 
most  \'aliant  of  all  the  wethers,  who  had  met  me  when  I 
came  home  from  London,  and  been  so  glad  to  see  me. 
And  then  we  all  fell  to  again,  and  very  soon  we  hauled 
him  out.  Watch  took  charge  of  him  at  once,  lying  on 
his  frozen  fleece,  and  licking  all  his  face  and  feet,  to 
restore  his  warmth  to  him.  Then  fighting  Tom  jumped 
up  at  once,  and  made  a  little  butt  at  Watch  as  if 
nothing  had  ever  ailed  him,  and  then  set  off  to  a 
shallow  place,  and  looked  for  something  to  nibble  at. 

P^urther  in  and  close  under  the  bank,  where  they 
had  huddled  for  warmth,  we  found  all  the  rest  of  the 
poor  sheep  packed,  as  closely  as  if  they  were  in  a  great 
pie.  It  was  strange  to  observe  how  their  vapor,  and 
breath,  and  the  moisture  exuding  from  their  wool, 
had  scooped,  as  it  were,  a  covered  room  for  them, 


THE  GREAT  WINTER  115 

lined  with  a  ribbing  of  deep  yellow  snow.  Also  the 
churned  snow  beneath  their  feet  was  yellow.  Two  or 
three  of  the  weaklier  ones  were  dead  from  want  of  air, 
and  from  pressure ;  but  more  than  three  score  were  as 
lively  as  ever,  though  cramped  and  stiff  for  a  little  while. 

"However  shall  us  get  'em  home?"  John  Frey 
asked,  in  great  dismay  when  we  had  cleared  about  a 
dozen  of  them;  which  we  were  forced  to  do  very  care- 
fully, so  as  not  to  fetch  the  roof  down. 

**You  see  to  this  place,  John,"  I  replied,  as  we 
leaned  on  our  shovels  a  moment.  ''Let  no  more  of 
them  out  for  the  present;  they  are  better  where  they 
be.     Watch!  here,  boy,  keep  them." 

Watch  came;  with  his  little  scut  of  a  tail  cocked  as 
sharp  as  duty;  and  I  set  him  at  the  narrow  mouth  of 
the  great  snow  cave.  All  the  sheep  sidled  away,  and 
got  closer,  that  the  other  sheep  might  be  bitten  first, 
as  the  foolish  things  imagined;  whereas  no  good  sheep 
dog  ever  so  much  as  lips  a  sheep  to  turn  it. 

Then  of  the  outer  sheep  (all  now  snowed  and 
frizzled)  I  took  the  two  finest  and  heaviest,  and  with 
one  beneath  my  right  arm  and  the  other  beneath  my 
left,  I  went  straight  home  to  the  upper  sheppey,  and 
set  them  inside,  and  fastened  them.  Sixty  and  six  I 
took  home  in  that  way,  two  at  a  time  on  each  jour- 
ney; and  the  work  grew  harder  and  harder  each  time, 
as  the  drifts  of  the  snow  were  deepening.  People  talk 
of  it  to  this  day :  but  none  can  tell  what  the  labor  was, 
who  have  not  felt  that  snow  and  wind. 

LoRNA  DooNE,  by  R.  D.  Blackmore 


THE  SHEPHERD  LAD  AND  THE  GIANT 

Vhv  lad  Da\icl  tended  his  father's  sheep,  but  his 
brothers  were  in  the  army  of  King  Saul.  And  his 
father  Jesse  said  unto  David,  ''Take  now  this  bag  of 
parched  corn,  and  these  ten  loaves,  and  run  to  camp 
to  thy  brethren;  and  carry  these  ten  cheeses  unto  the 
captain  of  their  thousand,  and  look  how  thy  brethren 
fare." 

And  David  rose  up  early  in  the  morning,  and  left 
the  sheep  with  a  keeper,  and  took  and  went,  as  Jesse 
had  commanded  him ;  and  he  came  to  the  trench  as  the 
host  was  going  forth  to  the  fight,  and  shouted  for  the 
battle;  for  Israel  and  the  Philistines  were  fighting, 
one  against  the  other.  And  David  ran  into  the  army, 
and  saluted  his  brethren.  And  as  he  talked  with  them, 
behold,  there  came  up  the  champion  Goliath  out  of 
the  army  of  the  Philistines,  and  he  stood  and  cried  to 
the  armies  of  Israel,  and  said  unto  them,  "Why  are 
you  come  out  to  set  your  battle  in  array?  Choose 
you  a  man  for  you,  and  let  him  come  down  to  me.  If 
he  be  able  to  fight  with  me,  and  to  kill  me,  then  will 
we  be  your  servants;  but  if  I  prevail  against  him,  and 
kill  him,  then  shall  you  be  our  servants  and  serve  us. 
I  defy  the  armies  of  Israel  this  day;  give  me  a  man, 
that  we  may  fight  together." 

Now  all  the  men  of  Israel,  when  they  saw  Goliath, 
fled  from  him,  and  were  sore  afraid;  for  he  was  a  giant, 
and  he  was  armed  with  brass  on  his  head,  and  his  legs, 

116 


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Print  copyright  by  Curtis  &  Cameron.  Publishers.  Boston 

DAVID  THE  SHEPHERD  LAD 


117 


lis         n7;.ir/-;A's  axd  other  workers 

and  on  his  body;  and  a  man  bearing  a  shield  went 
before  him. 

And  David  heard  Ciohalh's  words,  and  he  spake 
to  the  man  that  stood  by  him,  saying,  "What  shall 
be  done  to  the  man  that  killeth  this  Philistine?" 

And  the  people  answered  him  after  this  manner, 
saying.  "The  king  will  enrich  that  man  with  just  riches, 
and  will  give  him  his  daughter  for  wife." 

Now  David's  eldest  brother  was  angered  that 
David  should  speak  of  fighting,  seeing  that  he  was  only 
a  lad.  and  he  said,  "Why  camest  thou  down  hither? 
And  with  whom  hast  thou  left  those  few  sheep  in  the 
wilderness?  I  know  thy  pride  and  the  naughtiness  ot 
thy  heart,  for  thou  art  come  down  that  thou  mightest 
see  the  battle." 

But  the  people  told  King  Saul  David's  words,  and 
he  sent  for  him.  And  David  said  to  Saul,  "Let  no 
man's  heart  fail  because  of  Goliath;  thy  servant  will 
go  and  fight  with  this  Philistine." 

And  Saul  said  to  David,  "Thou  art  not  able  to  go 
against  the  Philistine  to  fight  with  him;  for  thou  art 
but  a  youth,  and  he  a  man  of  war  from  his  youth." 

And  David  said  unto  Saul,  "Thy  servant  kept  his 
father's  sheep,  and  there  came  a  lion,  and  a  bear,  and 
took  a  lamb  out  of  the  flock;  and  I  went  out  after  him, 
and  smote  him,  and  delivered  it  out  of  his  mouth;  and 
when  he  arose  against  me,  I  caught  him  by  his  beard, 
and  smote  him  and  slew  him.  Thy  servant  slew  both 
the  lion  and  the  bear;  and  this  Philistine  shall  be  as 
one  of  them.    The  Lord  that  delivered  me  out  of  the 


THE  SHEPHERD  LAD  AND  THE  GIANT       119 

paw  of  the  lion,  and  out  of  the  paw  of  the  bear,  he 
will  deliver  me  out  of  the  hand  of  this  Philistine." 

And  Saul  said  unto  David,  "Go,  and  the  Lord  be 
with  thee." 

And  Saul  armed  David  with  his  armor,  and  he  put 
an  helmet  of  brass  upon  his  head;  also  he  armed  him 
with  a  coat  of  mail.  And  David  girded  his  sword  upon 
his  armor,  and  he  tried  to  go.  But  David  said  unto 
Saul,  "I  cannot  go  with  these,  for  I  have  not  proved 
them." 

And  David  put  the  armor  off  him.  And  he  took 
his  staff  in  his  hand,  and  chose  him  five  smooth  stones 
out  of  the  brook,  and  put  them  in  a  shepherd's  bag 
A\hich  he  had;  and  his  sling  was  in  his  hand;  and  he 
drew  near  to  the  Philistine.  And  the  Philistine  came 
on  and  drew  near  unto  David ;  and  the  man  that  bare 
the  shield  went  before  him.  And  when  the  Philistine 
looked  about  and  saw  David,  he  disdained  him:  for 
he  was  but  a  youth,  and  ruddy,  and  of  a  fair  counte- 
nance. And  the  Philistine  said  unto  David,  "Am  I  a 
dog  that  thou  comest  to  me  with  a  staff?" 

And  the  Philistine  cursed  David  by  his  gods,  and 
he  said  to  David,  "Come  to  me,  and  I  will  give  thy 
flesh  unto  the  fowls  of  the  air,  and  to  the  beasts  of  the 
field." 

And  it  came  to  pass,  when  the  Philistine  arose, 
and  came  and  drew  nigh  to  meet  David,  that  David 
hastened,  and  ran  toward  the  army  to  meet  the  Philis- 
tine. And  David  put  his  hand  in  his  bag  and  took 
thence  a  stone,  and  slang  it  and  smote  the  Philistine 


i2C  WI-.WnKS   A\f)   OTHER    WORKIIRS 

in  his  forehead,  so  that  the  stone  sank  into  his  fore- 
head; and  he  fell  upon  his  face  to  the  earth.  So  David 
pre\-ailed  over  the  Philistine  with  a  sling  and  with  a 
stone,  and  smote  the  Philistine  and  slew  him,  but 
there  was  no  sword  in  the  hand  of  David. 

The  Bible 


ODYSSEUS  AND  THE   GIANT  SHEPHERD 

We  had  been  on  the  gray  sea  many  days,  and 
many  storms  had  smitten  us,  and  much  ill  fortune 
had  we  suffered  so  that  our  hearts  were  sick  and  our 
bodies  sore.  Then  we  came  to  a  land,  wooded  and 
sweet,  and  we  saw  a  cave  on  the  border  near  to  the 
sea,  lofty  and  roofed  over  with  laurels,  and  there 
many  flocks  of  sheep  and  goats  were  used  to  rest. 
And  before  it  was  a  yard  fenced  high  with  stones  and 
with  tall  pines  and  oaks  with  their  high  crown  of 
leaves. 

Then  I  commanded  the  rest  of  my  well-loved 
company  to  tarry  there  by  the  ship,  and  to  guard  the 
ship,  but  I  chose  out  twelve  men,  the  best  of  my  com- 
pany, and  sallied  forth.  Now  I  had  with  me  a  goat- 
skin of  the  dark  wine  and  sweet.  With  this  wine  I 
filled  a  great  skin,  and  bare  it  with  me,  and  corn,  too, 
I  put  in  a  wallet. 

Soon  we  came  to  the  cave  but  we  found  the  man 
not  within;  he  was  shepherding  his  fat  flocks  in  the 
pastures.  So  we  went  into  the  cave,  and  gazed  on 
all  that  was  therein.  The  baskets  were  well-laden 
with  cheeses,  and  the  folds  were  thronged  with  lambs 
and  kids ;  each  kind  was  penned  by  itself,  the  firstlings 
apart,  and  the  summer  lambs  apart,  apart  too  the 
younglings  of  the  flock.  Now  all  the  vessels  swam 
with  whey,  the  milk-pails  and  the  bowls,  the  well- 
wrought  vessels  whereinto  he  milked. 

Then  we  kindled  a  fire,  and  took  of  the  cheeses,  and 

121 


V2'2         iiv-;.ii7;a'n  axp  otiiiir  workers 

(lid  cat.  and  sat  wailing  lor  him  till  he  came  back, 
shepherding  liis  Hocks.  He  was  a  monstrous  thing 
and  fashioned  marveloush',  nor  was  he  like  to  any  man 
that  hves  by  bread,  but  like  a  wooded  peak  of  the 
towering  hills,  which  stands  out  apart  and  alone  from 
others;  and  but  one  eye  he  had,  and  that  in  the  middle 
of  his  forehead.  And  he  bore  a  great  w^eight  of  dry 
w(.x)d  against  supper  time.  This  log  he  cast  down 
with  a  din  inside  the  cave,  and  in  fear  we  fled  to 
the  secret  place  of  the  rock.  As  for  him,  he  drave 
his  fat  flocks  into  the  cavern,  even  all  that  he  w^as 
wont  to  milk;  but  the  males  both  of  the  sheep  and  of 
the  goats  he  left  without  in  the  deep  yard.  There- 
after he  lifted  a  huge  door-stone  and  weighty,  and 
set  it  in  the  mouth  of  the  cave,  such  an  one  as  two 
and  twenty  good  four-wheeled  wagons  could  not  raise 
from  the  ground,  so  mighty  a  sheer  rock  did  he  set 
against  the  doorway.  Then  he  sat  down  and  milked 
the  ewes  and  bleating  goats  all  orderly,  and  beneath 
each  ewe  he  placed  her  young.  And  anon  he  curdled 
one  half  of  the  white  milk,  and  massed  it  together,  and 
stored  it  in  wicker  baskets,  and  the  other  half  he  let 
stand  in  pails,  that  he  might  have  it  to  take  and  drink 
against  supper  time.  Now  when  he  had  done  all  his 
work  busily,  then  he  kindled  the  fire  anew,  and  espied 
us,  and  made  question: 

"Strangers,  who  are  ye?  Whence  sail  ye  over 
the  wet  ways?" 

So  spake  he,  but  as  for  us,  our  heart  within  us  was 
broken  for  terror  of  the  deep  voice  and  his  monstrous 


ODYSSEUS  AND  THE  GIANT  SHEPHERD       123 

shape;  yet  despite  all  I  answered  and  spake  unto  him, 
saying: 

"Lo,  we  are  Greeks,  driven  wandering  from  Troy, 
by  all  manner  of  winds  over  the  great  gulf  of  the  sea; 
seeking  our  homes  we  fare;  but  we  have  lighted  here, 
and  come  to  these  thy  knees,  if  perchance  thou  wilt 
give  us  a  stranger's  gift." 

So  I  spake,  and  out  of  his  pitiless  heart  he  answered 
me  not  a  word,  but  sprang  up,  and  laid  his  hands  upon 
my  fellows,  and  clutching  two  together  ate  them  up. 
Then  he  lay  down  within  the  cave,  stretched  out 
among  his  sheep. 

So  I  took  counsel  in  my  great  heart,  whether  I 
should  draw  near  and  pluck  my  sharp  sword  from  my 
side,  and  stab  him  in  the  breast,  feeling  for  the  place 
with  my  hand.  But  my  second  thought  withheld  me, 
for  so  should  we  too  have  perished  there  with  utter 
doom.  For  we  should  not  have  been  able  to  roll  away 
with  our  hands  from  the  lofty  door  the  heavy  stone 
which  he  set  there.  So  for  that  time  we  made  moan, 
awaiting  the  bright  dawn. 

Now  when  the  early  dawn  shown  forth,  the  rosy- 
fingered,  again  he  kindled  the  fire  and  milked  his 
goodly  flocks  all  orderly,  and  beneath  each  ewe  set 
her  lamb.  Anon  when  he  had  done  all  his  work  busily, 
again  he  seized  yet  other  two  men  and  made  ready  his 
mid-day  meal.  And  after  the  meal,  Hghtly  he  moved 
away  the  great  door-stone,  and  drave  his  fat  flocks 
forth  from  the  cave,  and  afterwards  he  set  it  in  his 
place  again.    Then  with  a  loud  whoop,  he  turned  his 


124         ]\i:.[\i:i<s  AM)  oriii'.R  workers 

fat  Hocks  towards  the  hills;  IduI  I  was  left  devising 
e\-il  ai::ainst  him  and  a  way  of  escape  in  the  deep  of 
nn-  heart. 

And  this  was  the  counsel  that  showed  best  in  iwy 
sight.  There  lay  by  a  sheep-fold  a  great  club  of  the 
C\'clops,  a  club  of  olive-wood,  yet  green,  which  he  had 
cut  to  carr\'  with  him  when  it  should  be  seasoned. 
Now  when  we  saw  it  we  likened  it  in  size  to  the  mast 
of  a  black  ship  of  twenty  oars,  so  huge  it  was  to  view 
in  bulk  and  length.  I  stood  thereby  and  cut  ofif  from 
it  a  portion,  and  set  it  by  my  fellows,  and  bade  them 
fine  it  down,  and  they  made  it  even,  while  I  stood  by 
and  sharpened  it  to  a  point,  and  straightway  I  took 
it  and  hardened  it  in  the  bright  fire.  Then  I  laid  it 
well  away,  and  hid  it.  And  I  bade  my  company  cast 
lots  among  them,  which  of  them  should  risk  the  adven- 
ture with  me,  and  lift  the  bar  and  turn  it  about  in 
his  eye,  when  sweet  sleep  came  upon  him.  And  the 
lot  fell  upon  those  four  whom  I  myself  would  have 
been  fain  to  choose,  and  I  appointed  myself  to  be  the 
fifth  among  them.  In  the  evening  he  came,  shepherd- 
ing his  flocks  of  goodly  fleece,  and  presently  he  drave 
his  fat  flocks  into  the  cave  each  and  all,  nor  left  he 
any  without  in  the  deep  courtyard.  Thereafter  he 
lifted  the  huge  door-stone  and  set  it  in  the  mouth  of 
the  cave,  and  sitting  down  he  milked  the  ewes  and 
bleating  goats,  all  orderly,  and  beneath  each  ewe  he 
placed  her  young.  Now  when  he  had  done  all  his 
work  busily,  again  he  seized  yet  other  two  men  and 
made  ready  his  supper.    Then  I  stood  by  the  Cyclops 


ODYSSEUS  AND  THE  GIANT  SHEPHERD      125 


%:tj^ 

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and  spake  to  him,  holding  in  my  hands  an  ivy  bowl 
of  the  dark  wine: 

"Cyclops,  take  and  drink  wine  after  thy  feast  of 
man's  flesh,  that  thou  mayest  know  what  manner  of 
drink  this  was  that  our  ship  held.  And  lo,  I  was 
bringing  it  thee  as  a  drink  offering,  if  haply  thou 
mayest  take  pity  on  me  and  send  me  on  my  way 
home." 

So  I  spake,  and  he  took  the  cup  and  drank  it  off, 
and  found  great  delight  in  drinking  the  sweet  draught, 
and  asked  me  for  it  yet  a  second  time: 

''Give  it  me  again  of  thy  grace,  and  tell  me  thy 
name  straightway,  that  I  may  give  thee  a  stranger's 
gift,  wherein  thou  mayest  be  glad." 


i2(>         \\i:a\i:rs    i.v/)  other  workers 

So  he  spake,  and  at::ain  I  handed  him  the  dark  wine. 
Thrice  I  bare  and  K^ive  it  him.  and  thrice  in  his  folly  he 
drank  it  to  the  lees.  Now  when  the  wine  had  got 
about  the  wits  of  the  Cyclops,  then  did  I  speak  to 
him  with  soft  words: 

"Cyclops,  thou  askest  me  my  renowned  name,  and 
I  will  declare  it  unto  thee,  and  do  thou  grant  me  a 
stranger's  gift,  as  thou  didst  promise.  Noman  is 
my  name,  and  Noman  they  call  me,  my  father  and 
my  mother  and  all  my  fellows." 

So  I  spake,  and  straightway  he  answered  me  out 
of  his  pitiless  heart: 

"Noman  will  I  eat  last  in  the  number  of  his  fellows, 
and  the  others  before  him;  that  shall  be  thy  gift." 

Therewith  he  sank  backward  and  fell  with  face 
upturned,  and  there  he  lay  with  his  great  neck  bent 
round,  and  sleep,  that  conquers  all  men,  overcame 
him.  Then  I  thrust  in  that  stake  under  the  deep 
ashes,  until  it  should  grow  hot,  and  I  spake  to  my 
companions  comfortable  words,  lest  any  should  hang 
back  from  me  in  fear.  But  when  that  bar  of  olive 
wood  was  just  about  to  catch  fire  in  the  flame,  green 
though  it  was,  and  began  to  glow  terribly,  even  then 
I  came  nigh,  and  drew  it  from  the  coals,  and  my  fellows 
gathered  about  me,  and  some  god  breathed  great 
courage  into  us.  We  seized  the  bar  of  olive-wood  that 
was  sharpened  at  the  point,  and  thrust  it  into  his  eye. 
And  he  raised  a  great  and  terrible  cry,  that  the  rock 
rang  around,  and  we  fled  away  in  fear,  while  he  plucked 
the  brand  forth  from  his  eye.    Then  maddened  with 


ODYSSEUS  AND  THE  GIANT  SHEPHERD      127 

pain  he  cast  it  from  him  with  his  hands,  and  called 
with  a  loud  voice  on  the  other  Cyclops,  who  dwelt 
about  him  in  the  caves  along  the  windy  heights. 
And  they  heard  the  cry  and  flocked  together  from  ever> 
side,  and  gathering  round  the  cave  asked  him  what 
ailed  him: 

"What  hath  so  distressed  thee,  Polyphemus,  that 
thou  criest  thus  aloud  through  the  immortal  night, 
and  makest  us  sleepless?  Surely  no  mortal  driveth  off 
thy  flocks  against  thy  will;  surely  none  slayeth  thee 
by  force  or  craft?" 

And  the  strong  Polyphemus  spake  to  them  again 
from  out  the  cave: 

"My  friends,  Noman  is  slaying  me." 
And  they  answered  and  spake  winged  words: 
"If,  then,  no  man  is  hurting  thee,  we  cannot  help 
thee." 

On  this  wise  they  spake  and  departed;  and  my 
heart  within  me  laughed  to  see  how  my  name  and 
cunning  counsel  had  deceived  him.  But  the  Cyclops, 
groaning  and  travailing  in  pain,  groped  with  his 
hands,  and  lifted  away  the  stone  from  the  door  of 
the  cave,  and  himself  sat  in  the  entry,  with  arms 
outstretched  to  catch,  if  he  might,  any  one  that  was 
going  forth  with  his  sheep.  But  I  advised  me  how 
all  might  be  for  the  very  best,  if  perchance  I  might 
find  a  way  of  escape  from  death  for  my  companions 
and  myself,  and  I  wove  all  manner  of  craft  and  counsel, 
as  a  man  will  for  his  life,  seeing  that  great  mischief  was 
nigh.    And  this  was  the  counsel  that  showed  best  in 


128         \yi:A\'i:KS  axd  other  workers 

my  siulit.  The  rams  of  the  flock  were  well  nurtured 
and  thick  of  lleece,  ij:reat  and  .u;oodh',  with  wool  dark 
as  tlie  violet.  Quietly  I  lashed  them  together  with 
twisted  twigs,  v  hereon  the  Cyclops  slept,  that  lawless 
monster.  Three  rams  together  I  took:  now  under  the 
middle  one  of  the  three  I  bound  each  a  man,  but  the 
other  two  went  on  either  side,  saving  my  fellows.  But 
as  for  me  I  laid  hold  of  the  back  of  a  young  ram  who 
was  far  the  best  and  the  goodliest  of  all  the  flock,  and 
curled  beneath  his  shaggy  belly  there  I  lay,  and  so 
clung  face  upward,  grasping  the  wondrous  fleece  with 
a  steadfast  heart.  So  for  that  time  making  moan  we 
awaited  the  bright  dawn. 

So  soon  as  early  dawn  shown  forth,  the  rosy- 
fingered,  then  did  the  rams  of  the  flock  hasten  forth 
to  pasture,  but  the  ewes  bleated  unmilked  about  the 
pens.  Then  their  lord,  sore  stricken  with  pain,  felt 
along  the  backs  of  all  the  sheep  as  they  stood  up  before 
him,  and  guessed  not  in  his  folly  how  that  my  men 
were  bound  beneath  the  breasts  of  his  thick-fleeced 
flocks.  Last  of  all  the  sheep  came  forth  the  ram, 
cumbered  with  his  wool  and  the  weight  of  me.  And 
the  strong  Polyphemus  laid  his  hands  on  him  and 
spake  to  him,  saying: 

"Dear  ram,  wherefore,  I  pray  thee,  art  thou  the 
last  of  all  the  flocks  to  go  forth  from  the  cave,  who  of 
old  wast  not  wont  to  lag  behind  the  sheep,  but  wert 
ever  the  foremost  to  pluck  the  tender  blossom  of  the 
pasture,  faring  with  long  strides,  and  wert  still  the 
first  to  come  to  the  streams  of  the  rivers,  and  first 


ODYSSEUS  AND  THE  GIANT  SHEPHERD      129 


^WW^MiuiA^^^^ 


'TITIT 


didst  long  to  return  to  the  homestead  in  the  evening. 
But  now  art  thou  the  very  last.  Surely  thou  art 
sorrowing  for  the  eye  of  thy  lord,  which  an  evil  man 
blinded,  with  his  accursed  fellows,  when  he  had  subdued 
my  wits  with  wine,  even  Noman,  whom  I  say  hath  not 
yet  escaped  destruction.  Ah,  if  thou  couldst  feel  as  I, 
and  be  endued  with  speech,  to  tell  me  where  he 
shifts  about  to  shun  my  wrath;  then  should  he  be 
smitten." 

Therewith  he  sent  the  ram  forth  from  him,  and 
when  we  had  gone  but  a  little  way  from  the  cave  and 
from  the  yard,  first  I  loosed  myself  from  under  the  ram 
and  then  I  set  my  fellows  free.     And  swiftly  we  drave 


130         11 7;. I i7;a's  .i.v/)  otiii-r  workers 

on  those  stiff-shanked  sheep,  so  rich  in  fat,  and  often 
turned  to  look  about,  till  we  came  to  the  ship.  And  a 
ijlad  sii^ht  to  our  fellows  were  we  that  had  fled  from 
death,  but  the  others  they  would  have  bemoaned  with 
tears;  howbeit  I  suffered  it  not,  seeing  that  we  were 
>et  in  danger,  but  with  frowning  brows  forbade  each 
man  to  weep.  Rather  I  bade  them  to  cast  on  board 
the  many  sheep  with  goodly  fleece,  and  to  sail  over 
the  salt  sea  water.  So  they  embarked  forthwith,  and 
sate  upon  the  benches,  and  sitting  orderly  smote  the 
gray  sea  water  with  their  oars.  But  when  I  had 
not  gone  so  far  into  the  sea  but  that  a  man's  shout 
might  be  heard,  then  I  spoke  unto  the  Cyclops  taunt- 
ing him: 

"Cyclops,  so  thou  wert  not  to  eat  the  company  of 
a  weakling  by  main  might  in  thy  hollow  cave !  Thine 
evil  deeds  were  very  sure  to  find  thee  out,  thou  cruel 
man,  who  hadst  no  shame  to  eat  thy  guests  within 
thy  gates." 

So  I  spake,  and  he  was  yet  the  more  angered  at 
heart,  and  he  brake  off  the  peak  of  a  great  hill  and 
threw  it  at  us,  and  it  fell  in  front  of  the  dark-prowed 
ship.  And  the  sea  heaved  beneath  the  fall  of  the  rock, 
and  the  backward  flow  of  the  wave  bare  the  ship 
quickly  to  the  dry  land,  with  the  wash  from  the  deep  sea, 
and  drave  it  to  the  shore.  Then  I  caught  up  a  long 
pole  in  my  hands,  and  thrust  the  ship  from  off  the 
land,  and  roused  my  companions,  and  with  a  motion 
of  the  head  bade  them  dash  in  with  their  oars,  that 
so  we  might  escape  our  evil  plight.     So  they  bent  to 


ODYSSEUS  AND  THE  GIANT  SHEPHERD      131 

their  oars  and  rowed  on.  But  when  we  had  now  made 
twice  the  distance  over  the  brine  I  answered  him  again 
from  out  an  angry  heart: 

"Cyclops,  if  any  one  of  mortal  men  shall  ask  thee 
of  the  unsightly  blinding  of  thine  eye,  say  that  it  was 
Odysseus  that  blinded  it." 

Then  we  sailed  onward  stricken  at  heart,  yet  glad 
as  men  saved  from  death,  albeit  we  had  lost  our  dear 
companions. 

The  Odyssey 
(Butcher  and  Lang,  translators) 


AN  ARAB  AND  HIS  HORSE 

The  land  of  Arabia  was  full  of  Mulcykeh's  name. 

"She  is  the  jewel  of  horses,"  men  said,  "Muleykeh, 
the  Unbeaten  One." 

There  was  never  a  race  run  where  Muleykeh  did 
not  win.  Up  and  down  the  desert  track  the  men  would 
stand  in  their  white  robes,  watching.  The  signal  would 
be  given.  Off  the  ten  horses  would  start  at  a  bound. 
Then  the  crowd  would  cheer  wildly. 

"The  white  horse  wins!"  they  would  cry;  then  in 
another  moment,  "The  black!    The  black!" 

And  all  the  time  Muleykeh's  cream-colored  tail 
would  be  streaming  at  the  end  of  the  line,  while  her 
master  Hoseyn  would  sit  lazily  on  her  shining  back. 
Then,  in  the  middle  of  the  race  he  would  lean  over  her 
neck  and  touch  her  right  ear  and  press  his  left  heel  to 
her  flank. 

"Now,  my  pearl,  child  of  my  heart!"  he  would 
whisper. 

Then  Muleykeh's  sharp  ears  would  shoot  forward, 
she  would  stretch  out  her  beautiful  neck  and  skim  the 
ground  like  a  gull.  She  would  pass  the  last  horse, 
she  would  gain  on  the  next.  She  would  leave  behind 
the  white  one,  the  black,  the  bay.  She  would  give 
them  her  dust  to  eat,  and  would  fly  in  at  the  end  of 
the  course  alone,  while  the  crowd  waved  their  sashes 
and  shouted,  "  Muleykeh  again !  Muleykeh  the  Proud, 
the  Unbeaten  One!" 

And  as  Hoseyn  leaped  off  her  glossy  back  and 

132 


AN    ARAB    AXI)    HIS    llokSI 

133 


13 1         wi:a\i:ks  a\i)  other  workers 

stroked  her  arching  neck,  he  would  laugh  aloud  with 
io>'.  Then  all  the  men  would  crowd  around  to  gaze 
at  her  slender  legs,  to  feel  her  mane  that  was  like  silk, 
to  look  at  her  large  soft  eyes,  the  beautiful  eyes  of  a 
deer.  And  always  one  of  those  that  looked  was  Duhl 
the  Wealthy,  owTier  of  thousands  of  camels  and  of  great 
llocks  of  sheep  and  of  a  hundred  horses,  but  none  like 
Muleykeh. 

One  day  Hoseyn  sat  in  his  ragged  tent's  door. 
The  tent  of  a  beggar  it  was,  but  there  lived  the  master 
of  Muleykeh,  the  horse  without  price;  and  as  men 
passed,  they  looked  with  envy  at  Hoseyn. 

And  Duhl  came  on  one  of  his  hundred  horses. 
He  took  off  his  embroidered  saddle  with  its  silver 
stirrups  and  flung  it  down  and  stood  at  the  tent  door 
and  opened  wide  his  hands  in  greeting  and  said, 
"Peace!" 

And  Hoseyn  rose  and  courteously  said,  "Peace! 
Enter  and  eat  of  my  bread  and  salt." 

And  they  sat  and  talked  of  this  thing  and  that,  until 
Duhl  said:  "They  say  that  you  are  poor,  Hoseyn; 
that  you  lost  all  your  flocks  and  herds  in  a  time  of 
trouble.  But  Muleykeh,  they  say,  is  worth  a  hundred 
camels.  Yet  I  am  not  a  stingy  man;  I  will  give  you 
a  thousand  for  her." 

And  Hoseyn  lifted  his  eyebrows  and  smiled. 

"A  thousand  camels  for  a  horse?"  he  said.  "It 
is  a  good  bargain.  But  Muleykeh  is  not  a  horse. 
She  is  the  child  of  my  heart,  the  wife  of  my  bosom. 
She  is  not  for  sale." 


^A^  ARAB  AND  HIS  HORSE  135 

"But  are  you  mad?"  Duhl  cried.  **A  thousand 
camels  would  give  milk  for  your  tribe.  You  could 
feast  them  for  a  thousand  days  on  camel's  meat." 

Then  Hoseyn  led  him  to  a  corner  of  the  tent  where 
Muleykeh  stood  daintily  nosing  over  a  bowl  of  golden 
dates.  A  ray  of  sunshine  touched  her,  and  she  glowed 
in  the  dark  corner  like  pale  gold.  She  turned  to  her 
master  with  a  soft  nicker  of  love,  and  the  star  on  her 
forehead  gleamed,  and  the  beautiful  splash  on  her 
breast  gleamed  white. 

"Look  at  her,  Duhl,"  said  Hoseyn.  "Lay  your 
hand  on  her  shining  coat.  I  rub  it  down  three  times 
a  day  with  cloth  of  silk.  Run  your  fingers  through 
her  mane,  like  the  lovely  hair  of  a  princess.  Daily  I 
comb  it  with  an  ivory  comb.  See  her  slender  ankles 
and  her  tapering  legs,  as  graceful  as  a  dancer's,  and 
her  eyes  of  an  antelope.  Would  a  thousand  humped 
backs  and  a  thousand  knotted  legs  and  spreading  feet 
and  a  thousand  rough  fleeces  of  camel's  hair  fill  my 
heart  if  I  lost  her?  No,  I  will  feast  my  tribe  on  Muley- 
keh's  beauty  instead  of  on  camel's  meat.  They  shall 
drink  of  her  fame  in  the  place  of  camel's  milk,  and  they 
will  like  it  better,  I  think.  Go,  rich  Duhl,  and  leave 
the  beggar  his  only  pearl." 

And  Duhl  went  with  frowning  brow,  but  in  another 
year  he  came  again. 

"Peace!"  he  said  again  to  Hoseyn. 

And  Hoseyn  answered,  "Peace!  Enter  and  sit. 
You  are  not  well,  my  brother." 

"It  is  my  heart  that  is  sick,"   Duhl  answered. 


136         ]yi:.wi:Rs  .\.\n  other  workers 

*'Ever>'  night  I  dream  of  Muleykeh;  all  day  I  long  for 
her.  I  take  no  pleasure  in  my  flocks  and  herds.  I 
sit  in  my  tent  corner  and  cannot  eat  or  drink.  'What 
will  you  have?'  says  my  wife.  'Are  you  not  Duhl  the 
man  of  riches?'  'But  of  what  use  is  my  wealth?'  I 
say.  'It  will  not  buy  Muleykeh.'  'Hoseyn  is  a  man 
of  tender  heart.'  answers  my  wife.  'All  Arabia  knows 
it.  Did  he  not  give  his  only  robe  to  a  beggar?  And 
did  he  not  once  kill  the  very  camel  he  rode  —  his 
last  —  to  feast  a  stranger?  He  would  not  see  a 
brother  grow  sick  with  longing  for  anything  of  his. 
Go  to  him  and  tell  him  your  trouble  of  heart!'  And 
I  have  come.  Give  me  Muleykeh,  Hoseyn,  for  my 
life's  sake!" 

But  Hoseyn  shook  his  head. 

"She  is  not  mine  to  give  away,"  he  said.  "God 
gave  her  to  me  to  bless  an  empty  heart.  You  have  a 
wife  to  love  and  a  son  to  cheer  you.  I  have  only 
Muleykeh,  and  Muleykeh  has  only  me.  I  have 
brought  her  up  from  the  time  she  was  born.  She  has 
eaten  from  no  hand  but  mine.  No  hand  but  mine 
has  polished  her  hoofs  and  rubbed  her  coat.  I  have 
taught  her  to  run,  and  together  we  have  won  the  races. 
We  share  our  bed  at  night.  If  I  were  the  lord  of  a 
thousand  other  horses,  Duhl,  you  should  have  them. 
But  a  man  does  not  give  away  his  wife  or  his  child." 

So  Duhl  went  home  across  the  flat  desert  to  his  rich 
tent.  And  he  sat  down  in  a  dark  corner  and  clutched 
his  beard,  and  envy  and  rage  ate  his  heart.  He  would 
not  eat,  he  would  not  drink,  he  drove  his  wife  and  son 


^A^  ARAB  AND  HIS  HORSE  137 

from  him  with  furious  words.  Late,  in  the  dark  of 
the  night,  when  all  the  village  slept,  he  rose  and  went 
stealthily  out  and  across  the  empty  desert  with  no  one 
to  see.  At  Hoseyn's  tent  he  stood  still  and  listened. 
Stealthily  he  opened  the  tent-flap  and  peered  within. 
Slowly  the  starlight  showed  him  Buheyseh,  Muleykeh's 
sister,  standing  in  a  corner  all  saddled  and  bridled, 
ready  for  her  master  to  mount  and  follow  if  a  thief 
should  steal  "Pearl."  But  how  was  a  thief  to  do  it? 
There  stood  the  beautiful  horse  asleep,  with  her  nose 
dropped  down  to  her  master's  shoulder.  For  he  lay 
asleep  on  the  ground  at  her  feet.  And  the  silken  rope 
of  her  halter  was  three  times  wound  about  his  wrist 
and  tied. 

Duhl's  heart  leaped  into  his  mouth  with  love  and 
envy.  Then  stealthily  he  crawled  into  the  tent  and 
stealthily  fastened  the  flap  wide  open.  Still  Hoseyn 
and  Muleykeh  slept.  Slowly,  carefully  Duhl  crept 
over,  took  a  sharp  knife  from  his  girdle,  and  softly 
cut  the  halter  rope  off.  Then  he  leaped  to  Muleykeh's 
back,  clapped  his  heels  to  her  side,  and  shouted  "Go!" 

The  horse  sprang  forward  with  fright  at  the  sudden 
shout  and  the  clapping  heels.  Out  of  the  tent  door 
she  shot  like  a  golden  arrow.  With  one  bound  Hoseyn 
leaped  from  his  dream  to  Buheyseh 's  back  and  was 
after  the  thief.  Across  the  desert  flew  Duhl  on  the 
unbeaten  horse,  and  behind  him  flew  Hoseyn  on  a 
horse  that  could  not  hope  to  win.  And  yet  she  was 
coming  nearer.  She  smelled  the  dust  of  her  sister's 
flying  feet.     Soon  she  heard  the  swift  hoofs  strike  the 


138     WEAM-KS   AM)   OTHER    WORKERS 

sand.  She  was  stretching  her  nose  out  toward  the 
streaming  tail  of  gold!  She  was  winning!  Hoseyn 
leaned  over  her  head,  wondering  and  encouraging  her. 

*'Well  done,  my  Buheyseh,"  he  whispered.  "We 
shall  win!     Duhl  rides  like  an  ape.     We  shall  win!" 

And  he  stretched  out  his  hand,  itching  to  pull  the 
thief  from  the  back  of  his  "Pearl."  Then  a  thought 
flashed  into  his  mind  and  froze  him. 

"Beat  Muleykeh?  Kill  her  fame?  No  longer  the 
'Unbeaten  One'  after  that.  No  longer  the  matchless 
'Pearl.'  It  is  Duhl's  fault,  that  rides  like  an  ape.  If 
I  were  on  her  back  now,  to  touch  her  ear  and  press 
her  flank!" 

Then  he  shouted  in  anger,  "Fool!  Touch  her  right 
ear  and  press  your  left  heel  to  her  flank." 

And  Duhl  did  it;  and  Muleykeh,  hearing  her  mas- 
ter's voice  and  feeling  her  secret  signal,  threw  her  heels 
to  the  wind,  and  was  across  the  desert  and  out  of  sight 
in  a  breath.  And  her  master  pulled  up  Buheyseh  and 
stood  still  and  gazed  after  her  as  though  his  heart 
had  been  under  her  feet.  Then  he  turned  his  horse 
and  rode  slowly  homeward,  weeping,  in  the  dark  night. 
Retold  from  Robert  Browning's  "Muleykeh" 


ISAAC  AND   REBEKAH 

Abraham  was  the  master  of  many  flocks.  And 
the  country  was  not  rich  in  grass  but  barren,  and  be- 
cause the  flocks  must  needs  have  pasture,  behold, 
Abraham  left  the  land  of  his  people  and  drave  all 
his  flocks,  his  camels  and  his  sheep  and  his  asses,  before 
him.  And  there  went  with  him  all  the  people  of  his 
house,  Sarah  his  wife,  and  his  men-servants,  and  maid- 
servants. And  Abraham  took  also  his  silver  and  gold 
and  all  his  substance,  for  he  was  very  rich.  And  he 
pitched  his  tent  for  no  long  time  in  one  place,  but  he 
removed  to  new  pastures,  he  and  his  people  and  his 
cattle  and  all  his  goods.  And  he  built  altars  unto  the 
Lord  in  the  places  where  he  dwelt.  And  because  the 
land  was  a  dry  land,  he  dug  wells  for  the  watering  of 
his  sheep  and  for  the  good  of  his  people.  And  the 
wells  of  Abraham  were  a  blessing  unto  the  land.  From 
Haran  even  unto  Egypt  were  the  journey ings  of 
Abraham.  And  God  blessed  him  and  prospered  him, 
and  when  Abraham  was  old,  God  gave  unto  him  a  son. 
And  Abraham  called  the  name  of  his  son  Isaac,  and  he 
loved  him  exceeding  much. 

And  when  Isaac  was  grown,  his  father  thought  to 
get  a  wife  for  him.  And  it  pleased  him  not  that  his 
son  should  take  a  wife  from  among  the  strangers  where 
he  dwelt,  but  Abraham  thought  upon  his  native  coun- 
try and  upon  his  kindred  and  upon  his  brother  Nahor 
where  he  dwelt  in  the  city  of  Haran.  And  Abraham 
called  his  eldest  servant  that  ruled  his  house,  and  he 

139 


ItO  ]VEA\I:RS   AM)   OTHER    WORKERS 

said.  "Thou  shall  .u;o  unlo  my  country  and  to  my 
kindred  and  take  a  wife  unto  my  son  Isaac." 

And  the  ser\ant  took  ten  camels  of  the  camels  of 
his  master,  and  departed ;  and  he  arose  and  went  unto 
the  city  of  Nahor.  And  he  made  his  camels  to  kneel 
down  without  the  city  by  a  well  of  water  at  the  time 
of  the  evening,  even  the  time  that  the  women  go  out  to 
draw  water.  'But  he  knew  not  what  damsel  to  choose 
for  his  master's  son's  wife.  And  he  said:  "O  Lord 
God  of  my  master  Abraham,  I  pray  thee,  send  me  good 
speed  this  day,  and  shew  kindness  unto  my  master 
Abraham.  Behold,  I  stand  here  by  the  well  of  water; 
and  the  daughters  of  the  men  of  the  city  come  out  to 
draw  water;  and  let  it  come  to  pass  that  the  damsel 
to  whom  I  shall  say, '  Let  down  thy  pitcher,  I  pray  thee, 
that  I  may  drink,'  and  she  shall  say,  'Drink,  and  I 
will  give  thy  camels  drink  also';  let  the  same  be  she 
that  thou  hast  appointed  for  thy  servant  Isaac,  and 
thereby  shall  I  know  that  thou  hast  shewn  kindness 
unto  my  master." 

And  it  came  to  pass,  before  he  had  done  speaking, 
that,  behold,  Rebekah  came  out,  who  was  born  to 
Bethuel  the  wife  of  Nahor,  Abraham's  brother,  with 
her  pitcher  upon  her  shoulder.  But  the  servant  knew 
not  that  she  w^as  the  daughter  of  Nahor.  And  the 
damsel  was  very  fair  to  look  upon ;  and  she  w^ent  down 
to  the  well,  and  filled  her  pitcher,  and  came  up.  And 
the  ser\^ant  ran  to  meet  her,  and  said,  **Let  me,  I  pray 
thee,  drink  a  little  water  of  thy  pitcher." 

And  she  said,  "Drink,  my  lord." 


ISAAC  AND  REBEKAH  141 

And  she  hasted,  and  let  down  her  pitcher  upon  her 
hand,  and  gave  him  drink.  And  when  she  had  done 
giving  him  drink,  she  said,  "  I  will  draw  water  for  thy 
camels  also,  until  they  have  done  drinking." 

And  she  hasted,  and  emptied  her  pitcher  into  the 
trough,  and  ran  again  unto  the  well  to  draw  water, 
and  drew  for  all  his  camels.  And  it  came  to  pass,  as 
the  camels  had  done  drinking,  that  the  man  took  a 
golden  earring,  and  two  bracelets  of  gold  for  her 
hands,  and  said,  ** Whose  daughter  art  thou?  Tell 
me,  I  pray  thee,  is  there  room  in  thy  father's  house 
for  us  to  lodge  in?" 

And  she  said  unto  him,  '*I  am  the  daughter  of 
Bethuel,  which  she  bare  unto  Nahor."  She  said  more- 
over unto  him,  "We  have  both  straw  and  provender 
enough,  and  room  to  lodge  in." 

And  the  man  bowed  down  his  head  and  worshiped 
the  Lord.  And  he  said,  ''Blessed  be  the  Lord  God 
of  my  master  Abraham.  I  being  in  the  way,  the  Lord 
led  me  to  the  house  of  my  master's  brethren." 

And  the  damsel  ran,  and  told  them  of  her  mother's 
house  these  things;  for  her  father  was  dead.  And 
Rebekah  had  a  brother,  and  his  name  was  Laban; 
and  Laban  ran  out  unto  the  man,  unto  the  well.  And 
it  came  to  pass,  when  he  saw  the  earrings  and  brace- 
lets upon  his  sister's  hands,  and  when  he  heard  the 
words  of  Rebekah  his  sister,  saying,  "Thus  spake  the 
man  unto  me";  that  he  came  unto  the  man;  and, 
behold,  he  stood  by  the  camels  at  the  well.  And  he 
said,  "Come  in,  thou  blessed  of  the  Lord;  wherefore 


112         \vI':a\i:rs  axd  other  workers 

standost  thou  without?  for  I  have  prepared  the  house, 
and  room  for  the  camels." 

And  the  man  came  into  the  house:  and  Laban 
unirirded  his  camels,  and  gave  straw  and  provender 
for  the  camels,  and  water  to  wash  his  feet,  and  the 
men's  feet  that  were  with  him.  And  there  was  set 
meat  before  him  to  eat:  but  he  said,  "I  will  not  eat 
until  I  have  told  mine  errand." 

And  Laban  said,  "Speak  on." 

And  he  said,  "I  am  Abraham's  servant.  And  the 
Lord  hath  blessed  my  master  greatly ;  and  he  is  become 
great:  and  he  hath  given  him  flocks,  and  herds,  and 
silver,  and  gold,  and  men-servants,  and  maid-servants, 
and  camels,  and  asses.  And  Sarah  my  master's  wife 
bare  a  son  to  my  master  when  she  was  old:  and  unto 
him  hath  he  given  all  that  he  hath.  And  my  master 
made  me  swear,  saying,  'Thou  shalt  not  take  a  wife 
to  my  son  of  the  daughters  of  the  Canaanites,  in  whose 
land  I  dwell :  but  thou  shalt  go  unto  my  father's  house, 
and  to  my  kindred,  and  take  a  wife  unto  my  son.'  " 

Then  he  told  Laban  how  he  had  come  that  day 
unto  the  well,  and  how  he  had  prayed  unto  the  Lord 
to  show  him  what  maiden  he  should  choose  unto  Isaac, 
and  how^  God  had  answered  his  prayer  and  had  sent 
out  Rebekah  unto  him.  And  he  said,  "Now  if  ye  will 
deal  kindly  and  truly  with  my  master,  tell  me;  and 
if  not,  tell  me;  that  I  may  turn  to  the  right  hand,  or 
to  the  left." 

Then  Laban  and  Bethuel  answered  and  said,  "The 
thing  proceedeth  from  the  Lord.    Behold,  Rebekah  is 


ISAAC  AND  REBEKAH 


143 


Brown  Bros. 


before  thee,  take  her,  and  go,  and  let  her  be  thy 
master's  son's  wife,  as  the  Lord  hath  spoken." 

And  the  servant  brought  forth  jewels  of  silver,  and 
jewels  of  gold,  and  raiment,  and  gave  them  to  Rebekah : 
he  gave  also  to  her  brother  and  to  her  mother  precious 
things.  And  they  did  eat  and  drink,  he  and  the  men 
that  were  with  him,  and  tarried  all  night;  and  they 
rose  up  in  the  morning,  and  he  said,  "Send  me  away 
unto  my  master." 

And  her  brother  and  her  mother  said,  "Let  the 
damsel  abide  with  us  a  few  days,  at  the  least  ten; 
after  that  she  shall  go." 

And  he  said  unto  them,  "Hinder  me  not,  seeing  the 


14-1         \vi:a\'I':rs  axd  other  workers 

Lord  hath  prospered  my  way;  send  me  away  that  I 
may  go  to  my  master." 

And  they  said,  "We  will  call  the  damsel,  and 
enquire  at  her  mouth." 

And  they  called  Rebekah,  and  said  unto  her,  "Wilt 
thou  go  with  this  man?" 

And  she  said,  "I  will  go." 

And  they  sent  away  Rebekah  their  sister,  and  her 
nurse,  and  Abraham's  servant,  and  his  men.  And 
Rebekah  arose,  and  her  damsels,  and  they  rode  upon 
the  camels  and  followed  the  man;  and  the  servant 
took  Rebekah,  and  went  his  way. 

And  Isaac  came  from  the  way  of  the  well;  for  he 
dwelt  in  the  south  country.  And  Isaac  went  out  to 
meditate  in  the  field  at  the  eventide;  and  he  lifted  up 
his  eyes,  and  saw,  and,  behold,  the  camels  were  coming. 
And  Rebekah  lifted  up  her  eyes,  and  when  she  saw 
Isaac,  she  hghted  off  the  camel.  For  she  had  said 
unto  the  servant,  "What  man  is  this  that  walketh  in 
the  field  to  meet  us?" 

And  the  servant  had  said,  "It  is  my  master." 

Therefore  she  took  a  veil,  and  covered  herself. 

And  the  servant  told  Isaac  all  things  that  he  had 
done.  And  Isaac  brought  her  into  his  mother  Sarah's 
tent,  and  took  Rebekah  and  she  became  his  wife;  and 
he  loved  her. 

The  Bible 


A  RUG  STORY 

There  is  a  wonderful  old  rug  with  a  pointed  window 
and  a  hanging  lamp  and  a  running  vine  and  leaves 
and  flowers  on  a  crimson  ground.  Long  ago  a  Persian 
woman  sat  in  her  hut  and  wove  day  after  day  upon 
this  rug.  When  it  was  almost  finished  a  rich  traveling 
merchant  saw  it  and  bought  it. 

"This  is  very  beautiful,"  he  said.  "I  will  not  sell 
it.  It  shall  be  my  own  prayer  rug.  Weave  my  name 
into  the  end." 

So  the  woman  wove  in  the  crooked  Persian  letters, 
cut  the  warp  and  tied  the  fringe,  and  the  merchant 
took  his  rug  and  was  glad  to  have  it.  He  had  three 
camels  packed  with  rolls  of  rugs  that  he  meant  to 
sell  in  a  great  city.  He  joined  a  long  caravan  to 
cross  the  desert.  Straight  across  the  wide,  yellow  sand 
they  went  for  many  days.  There  was  nothing  to  see 
as  far  as  the  eye  could  look  but  blazing  sky  and  blazing 
sand  and  swaying  camels  and  tossing  riders.  Five 
times  every  day  a  call  rang  out  and  passed  down  the 
long  line.  Then  all  those  thousand  camels  stopped 
and  knelt.  The  drivers,  with  baggy  trousers  and 
turbaned  heads,  leaped  off  and  pulled  out  rolls  from 
their  saddles  somewhere,  and  spread  them  out  on  the 
sand.  They  were  prayer  rugs.  Every  one  had  a 
pointed  window  of  some  kind,  and  all  were  laid  with 
points  toward  the  blessed  city  of  Mecca.  Every  man 
knelt  upon  his  rug  and  bowed  his  head  to  the  ground 

145 
10 


14G  WEAVEKS  A.\D   UTllER    WORKERS 


and  chanted  a  prayer.  Then  they  all  rose,  mounted 
their  camels,  and  were  off  again. 

Near  sunset  one  day  a  speck  appeared  far  over  the 
sand.  Slo\\'ly  it  grew  bigger  and  greener.  It  was  a 
clump  of  palm  trees.  Under  them  was  a  bubbling 
spring  and  soft  grass  and  cool  shade.  The  men  drank 
and  bathed  their  hot  faces.  They  ate  a  little  supper, 
spread  their  rugs,  and  lay  down  to  sleep.  The  camels 
lay  near,  under  the  stars,  chewing  their  cuds.  A  few 
guards  tried  to  keep  awake  around  a  watch  fire. 
Suddenly  the  men  leaped  up  from  sleep.  Guns  were 
shooting,  the  camels  were  crying,  the  guards  were 
shouting,  "Robbers!  Robbers!"  Wild-looking  men 
with  long  white  robes  and  swinging  curved  swords  were 
running  about  among  the  camels.  Then  they  leaped 
upon  their  waiting  horses  and  were  off  into  the  desert, 
with  long  rifles  shooting  back  at  the  men  of  the  caravan. 

"They  have  stolen  our  horses  and  our  guns,"  cried 
the  guards.     "We  cannot  chase  them." 

"Oh!"  wailed  the  people.  "Everything  is  gone  — 
rugs,  ivory,  spices,  gold." 


"THEY  LEAPED  ON  THEIR  WAITING  HORSES  AND  WERE  OFF  INTO 
THE  DESERT" 


147 


148 


]vi:a\i:rs  axp  other  workers 


"My  prayer  rug,  too,"  cried  our  merchant,  "and 
all  my  rolls." 

The  robbers  went  flying  across  the  desert  on  their 
swift  horses.  Under  one  dark  Bedouin's  arm  was  the 
prayer  rug  wrapped  around  two  great  tusks  of  ivory. 
For  an  hour  they  rode  with  the  wind  whizzing  past 
their  ears.  Then  they  saw  the  watch  fires  of  their  own 
oasis.  As  they  came  near  they  shouted,  "Allah  be 
praised!    We  bring  rich  spoil." 

The  women  came  out  of  their  tents  to  see.  The 
men  spread  out  their  prizes. 

"See!    See!    Ah!    Ah!" 

Then  they  all  took  their  treasures  under  their 
arms  and  crept  under  their  flat  black  tents  to  sleep. 


A  RUG  STORY 


149 


The  next  day  the  robber  shepherd  took  his  new 
prayer  rug  as  he  followed  his  sheep,  and  spread  it  on 
the  thin  grass  at  prayer  time,  and  so  he  did  for  many 
years,  now  here,  now  there,  in  the  desert.  And  when 
he  died,  his  son  had  the  rug.  Sometimes  it  was  spread 
on  green  river  banks,  sometimes  in  city  streets,  some- 
times on  rocky  hillsides,  sometimes  among  the  sheep, 
sometimes  on  the  tent  floor,  sometimes  in  inn  court- 
yards, until  the  fringe  was  ragged  and  there  was  a 


150  WFAVFRS   AXD   OTIIKR    WORKERS 

hole  or  two.  But  the  crimson  ground  still  glowed, 
scattered  over  with  its  vine  and  flowers. 

One  year  the  tribe  had  bad  luck.  A  sickness  had 
killed  many  of  their  camels.  There  had  been  little  rain 
and  no  grass,  and  the  sheep  were  thin  and  their  wool 
poor.  The  people  needed  food  and  camels.  The  owner 
of  the  prayer  n\g  looked  at  it  and  said  to  himself: 

"It  is  ver>'  beautiful.  Some  rich  merchant  will 
give  me  much  money  for  it.     I  will  sell  it." 

Soon  after  that  the  tribe  took  down  the  tents, 
packed  the  camels,  mounted  their  horses,  and  were 
off  for  the  great  fair  at  Mecca.  After  a  day's  journey 
the  desert  was  behind  them,  a  valley  with  grass  and 
trees  and  houses  was  before  them.  The  roads  were 
crowded  and  noisy  with  hundreds  of  caravans.  At 
last  they  were  in  the  great  city  of  Mecca  with  its  busy 
streets.  They  spread  out  their  treasures  in  the  open 
square,  where  thousands  of  men  were  buying  and 
selling.  They  got  flour  and  cloth  and  camels  for  their 
rugs  and  wool  and  their  robber  spoils.  Then  they 
turned  their  faces  again  to  the  desert  and  were  gone. 

A  rich  merchant  had  bought  the  little  prayer  rug 
and  had  put  it  into  a  roll  with  many  others.  Then 
upon  his  camel  it  went  and  off  over  the  hills  to  the  sea. 
There  it  lay  in  the  hold  of  a  dirty  little  boat  that  tossed 
on  blue  water  for  days  and  days,  while  Turkish  sailors 
worked  the  great  sails.  Then  a  big  steamship  took 
it;  and,  after  that,  a  railroad  train,  and  here  is  the  old 
Persian  prayer  rug  for  a  little  American  boy  to  lie  upon 
while  he  looks  at  his  picture  book. 


II.     CORRELATED   MANUAL   WORK 

The  reading  matter  in  this  book  is  of  little  value  except 
in  connection  with  actual  handwork;  for  it  aims  to  lift  manual 
labor  out  of  the  mechanical  into  the  imaginative,  to  disclose  a 
picture  of  a  world  full  of  men  and  women  doing  seriously  things 
that  the  child  himself  is  doing,  making  the  things  that  the  child  is 
using.  If  children  are  themselves  weaving,  the  story  of  a  master 
weaver  will  dignify  for  them  their  smaller  effort,  will  quicken 
enthusiasm  and  fancy.  Equally  the  manual  work  without  such 
interpretive  matter  loses  value,  misses  intellectual  meaning,  re- 
mains mere  muscular  manipulation. 

When  a  child  handles  a  piece  of  cloth  I  would  have  him  almost 
automatically  see  shepherds  with  their  flocks,  grandmother  with 
her  wheel,  the  weaver  at  his  loom.  When  he  walks  on  rugs  I 
would  have  him  see  the  black  tents  of  the  desert,  the  dyer  of 
infinite  skill  and  patience,  the  family  with  its  traditions  of  weaving. 
Whenever  he  sees  things,  I  should  like  him  to  see  also  the  workers. 
The  intellectual  value  of  such  mental  habits  I  should  expect  to 
consist  in  an  interest  in  social  activity  and  interrelations  every- 
where, in  admiration  for  good  work  generally,  and  in  a  consequent 
wish  to  do  good  work  himself. 

WEAVING 

Almost  every  child  likes  to  weave  if  he  is  given  a  chance;  for 
his  muscles  want  exercise,  his  infant  interests  are  largely  interests 
in  activity.  The  weaving  principle  is  very  simple.  If  you  show 
it  once,  any  child  will  understand  it ;  yet  it  will  have  double  value 
if  you  let  him  discover  it  for  himself.  Give  him  strips  of  paper 
or  cloth  to  experiment  with.  He  will  perhaps  make  his  discovery 
more  quickly  if  at  the  same  time  he  has  a  piece  of  coarse  cloth 
to  ravel.  But  unless  he  has  already  planned  to  weave  some- 
thing and  is  doing  this  consciously  to  learn  how  to  weave,  it  will 
be  mere  juggling  with  materials. 

151 


152 


WEAVERS  A\D  OTHER    WORKERS 


Fig.   I.     Bags  made  by  children 

Weaving  for  little  children  ought  to  be  very  rapid.  If  they 
must  work  many  days  before  they  see  the  end,  they  weary;  then 
the  labor  becomes  a  hated  drudgery.  To  gain  rapidity  in  weaving 
one  must  use  coarse  materials  and  make  a  loose  mesh.  Cotton 
and  woolen  rags  can  be  got  from  home.  They  should  be  cut  or 
torn  to  a  width  of  about  half  an  inch.  Raffia  can  be  bought  at  any 
seed  store ;  soft  jute  cord  of  various  thicknesses  from  a  ship  chandler 
or  hardware  dealer ;  and  candlewick  can  be  got  at  dry  goods  stores. 

What  shall  be  made  with  these  materials?  Whatever  it  is, 
let  it  be  something  that  the  child  wants  to  make  and  really  believes 
to  be  useful.  It  is  this  sense  of  worth  that  will  give  earnestness 
to  all  his  work,  and  let  me  beg  that  whatever  he  weaves  under 
this  motive  be  actually  used.  When  a  child  makes  something 
and  himself  immediately  uses  it  or  sees  it  used  by  some  one  else. 


CORRELATED  MANUAL   WORK 


153 


he  justly  feels  the  joy  and  self-respect  which  is  the  right  of  any 
honest  worker.  But  when  he  sees  it  hung  up  in  an  "exhibit" 
or  stored  away  in  a  trunk  as  a  "memento,"  he  has  forced  upon 
him  with  chagrin  the  futility  of  his  childish  efforts. 

From  candlewicking  he  can  make  a  most  usable  wash  cloth  or 
hot-dish  mat  for  the  table.  (This  material  must  be  handled  care- 
fully, since  it  easily  pulls  apart  and  is,  therefore,  not  altogether  sat- 
isfactory.) Some  children  may  choose  iron  holders  for  the  kitchen, 
or  doll's  rugs  or  doU's  hammocks  for  the  playhouse.  Others  will 
prefer  marble  bags  or  handkerchief  bags  or  sewing  bags.  All  these 
things  are  to  be  woven  with  the  same  simple  darning  stitch. 

Let  me  first  describe  the  loom  for  weaving  the  bags.     Cut 
a  piece  of  heavy  cardboard  of  the  size  required  for  the  bag.     One 
fourth  inch  from  the  edges  draw  lines  along  two  sides  and  one  end 
of  the  cardboard.    From  each  of  these  lines 
to  the  nearest  edge  of  the  cardboard  draw 
perpendicular  lines  one  fourth  of  an  inch 
apart.    With  scissors  cut  out  notches  with 
their  inner  points  at  the  alternate  inter- 
sections of  the  two  lines  and  their  outer 
points  at  the  alternate  intersections  of  the 
short  lines  and  the  edge  of  the  cardboard 
as  in  Fig.  2. 

Next  the  loom  must  be  strung  with  the 
warp.  Suppose  that  the  material  is  to  be 
rags.  Take  a  long  rag  and  wind  it  around 
and  around  the  loom,  passing  it  through 
the  notches  on  the  sides.  Be  sure  to  fasten 
both  ends  of  this  rag,  not  to  the  loom,  but  to 
itself.    Now  the  loom  is  ready  for  weaving. 

For  a  shuttle  use  a  large  bodkin  or  a  small  meat  skewer  with 
a  notch  cut  near  the  top.  Thread  a  rag  through  the  eye  of  the 
bodkin  or  tie  it  around  the  skewer.  Fasten  the  end  of  this  rag 
to  the  top  warp  thread  close  to  the  edge  of  the  loom.  Carry  this 
woof  with  a  darning  stitch  from  the  top  end  of  the  loom  down  one 


Fig.  2 


ISi  H7:M  17:7^5   A\D   OTHER    WORKERS 

side,  throuj^h  a  notch  at  the  bottom  end  of  the  cardboard  and  up 
the  other  side,  around  the  top  thread  and  down  a^ain,  and  so  on 
until  the  bag  is  woven.  Break  the  cardboard  and  take  it  out 
through  the  top.  This  method  makes  a  bag  with  three  closed 
sides  and  one  open.  Run  in  two  drawstrings  at  the  top.  To 
make  a  holder  omit  the  strings,  fill  the  bag  with  padding,  and 
sew  up  the  open  side.  The  warp-rag  and  woof -rag  may  be  of 
different  colors.  If,  then,  the  weaver  is  careful  to  keep  his  rag 
flat,  he  will  have  a  plaid.  Instead  of  the  rags  any  one  of  the 
coarse  materials  mentioned  may  be  used.  Woolen  yam  may  be 
employed  for  the  warp  and  woolen  rags  for  the  woof. 

Doll-house  rugs  may  be  made  in  a  similar  way.  These  direc- 
tions I  will  write  as  they  might  be  put  upon  the  blackboard 
for  children  to  read  and  follow.  Such  reading  seems  to  me  of 
particular  value.  It  demands  thorough  understanding  of  the  idea 
involved  —  reading  for  thought,  not  for  words ;  it  makes  immediate 
and  practical  use  of  the  information  gained  and  so  proves  to  the 
child  the  usefulness  of  reading.  The  other  directions  I  have  writ- 
ten for  the  teacher,  not  for  the  children,  for  three  reasons.  Some 
of  the  processes  are  difficult  of  written  explanation  and  need 
actual  demonstration,  and  when  directions  are  advisable  the 
teacher,  knowing  the  mental  habits  of  her  own  children,  can  best 
frame  them.  But  I  believe  that  in  most  cases  the  best  way  is 
for  the  children  to  invent  or  to  help  invent  their  own  looms  and 
methods  of  weaving.  Each  child  may  work  out  his  own  way,  or 
the  class  may  work  together,  approximate  a  method,  and  compose 
their  own  directions.  This  reading  lesson,  then,  is  submitted  only 
as  an  example  of  the  possibilities  of  such  reading  matter. 

1.  Cut  cardboard  four  inches  wide  and  eight  inches  long. 

2.  Put  the  cardboard  on  yovu"  desk  with  the  short  side  toward 
you. 

3.  Find  the  upper  right-hand  comer. 

4.  Make  a  dot  there  one  inch  from  the  upper  edge. 

5.  Find  the  upper  left-hand  comer 

6.  Make  a  dot  there  one  inch  from  the  upper  edge. 


CORRELATED  MANUAL   WORK 


155 


7.  Lay  the  edge  of 
your  ruler  on  these 
dots. 

8.  Draw  a  line 
across  the  cardboard. 

9.  On  this  line 
make  dots  one  fourth 
of  an  inch  apart. 

10.  Punch  holes 
on  these  dots. 

1 1 .  Do  these  same 
things  at  the  other 
end  of  the  cardboard. 

Thread  the  loom 
with  white  carpet 
chain  or  with  ordinary 
white  wrapping  string. 
Carry  it  from  hole  i 
(Fig.  3)  along  the  front 
face  of  the  loom  to 
hole  2,  on  the  back 
from  2  to  3 ,  along  the 
front  again  from  3  to 
4,  and  so  to  comple- 
tion. Fasten  the  ends 
with  a  knot.  Weave 
as  before  from  right 
to  left  and  back  again 


2    <3 


i    6 


Fig. 


on  the  same  side.  Upon  completion  break  off  the  cardboard. 
Toy  hamniocks  can  be  made  in  much  the  same  wa\-.  String 
the  loom  as  for  the  mg,  carrying  the  threads  through  brass  rings 
at  the  back  of  the  loom.  (See  Fig.  4.)  If  the  holes  are  aiTanged 
in  a  cur\-e  instead  of  in  a  straight  line,  the  hammock  will  have  a 
better  shape.  Weave  with  short  threads,  allowing  the  ends  to 
han<r  out  as  a  fringe  along  the  sides.     Before  taking  the  hammock 


156 


]Vi:a\i:rs  axd  other  workers 


otT  iho  l(.K)in,  fasU'ii  these  cmls  to  tlic  ctlj^c-strinjjis  with  needle  and 
thread.     Hand-twisted  wrapping,'  cord  is  a  j^ood  material  to  use. 

With  a  wooden  loom  larjj;er  things 

ean  l)e  made.     The  sim])lest  type  is  a 

^\\\\  \    I/////.  reetanj^nilar  board  of  any  de.sired  size 

\\avA\|  \\I  ///y        with    a   strai^'ht   row   of  nails  across 

each  end,  i)erhaps  an  inch  from  the 
end  of  tlie  wood.  The  nails  should  be 
small  brads  driven  in  only  half  their 
lens.(th.  A  lij^hter  loom,  and  one  re- 
quiring less  wood,  consists  of  a  rec- 
tangular frame,  perhaps  one  and  a 
half  feet  by  two  and  a  half  feet,  made 
of  four  pieces  of  wood  about  three 
inches  wide  and  seven  eighths  of  an 
inch  thick,  nailed  together  at  the 
comers.  Into  each  shorter  end-piece, 
along  a  straight  line,  drive  small  nails 
one  quarter  inch  apart  as  before,  with 
half  their  length  standing  up.  The 
nails  of  one  end  must  be  exactly  opposite  the  nails  of  the  other 
end.  Tic  a  long  piece  of  jute  cord  around  nail  a  (Fig.  5),  carry 
it  around  h  and  c,  back  and  around  d  and  c,  and  so  on  to  the  last 
nail  and  fasten  it  there.  If  you  want  fringe  at  the  ends,  string 
the  loom  with  short  pieces  instead  of  this  one  long  piece  (Fig.  5.) 
Make  them  about  six  inches  longer  than  the  loom.  Lay  one  from 
a  to  h;  lay  a  like  piece  from  c?  to  c;  tie  the  two  pieces  together  at 
each  end,  pulling  them  tight.  On  both  of  these  looms  weave  across 
with  jute  cord  woimd  around  a  thin  stick  for  a  shuttle.  The  weave 
will  be  prettiest  if  you  use  a  double  cord  for  both  w^arp  and  woof 
instead  of  a  single  one.  You  can  make  colored  stripes  across  the 
ends  by  using  a  few  threads  of  colored  woof,  and  along  the  sides 
by  vising  a  few  threads  of  colored  warp.  When  the  rug  is  woven, 
lift  the  ends  free  from  the  nails.  Tie  the  fringe  in  groups  of  twos 
or  fours  in  big  knots. 


Fig.  4 


CORRELATED  MANUAL   WORK 


157 


I  have  described  several  kinds  of  darning  weaving.  All  of 
these  kinds  and  more  can  be  carried  on  by  the  class  at  once, 
according  to  differing  wishes  and  the  manual  dexterity  of  the 
children.  This  diversity  of  the  form  of  the  same  activity  gains 
for  the  class  a  feeling  of  power  and  freedom,  a  sense  of  wide  oppor- 
tunity, an  interest  in  the  work  of  their  comrades,  and  a  fuller 
picture  of  the  possibilities  of  the  craft.  We  are  in  danger  of  falling 
into  the  habit  of  feeling  that,  of  course,  all  the  children  must  do 
the  same  things  at  the  same  time  and  must  be  working  under 
directions.  In  our  normal,  non-school-teacher  moments  we  know 
better.  We  know  then  that  no  two  people  have  the  same  interests 
or  powers  or  needs,  that  society  is  the  better  for  diversity  in  such 


matters,  that  it  is  through  individual  \^q 

effort  that  people  grow  and  are  most 
happy.  It  is  perhaps  tradition,  per- 
haps the  apparent  difhculty  of  making 
arrangements  and  supplying  material, 
that  frightens  us.  But  I  suspect  that 
our  best  teaching  is  done  in  odd 
corners  of  the  building  or  at  home, 
after  school  or  before,  at  odd  times 
and  in  odd  places,  even  when  we  are 
absent.  Moreover,  after  such  individ- 
ual work  is  started  it  can  be  carried 
on  in  the  classroom  while  other  people 
are  at  their  chosen  work.  If,  at  the 
same  time  in   a   room,   one    child    is  ode 

weaving  a  marble-bag  on  a  piece  of 


fac 


'j4aa:^-\. 


T^ 


K%^  ^> 


S 


od 


Fh;.  5 

cardboard,  another  making  a  rag  rug  for  her  doll  house,  another 
weaving  a  hammock,  another  knitting  a  doll's  tam-o'-shanter  on 
a  spool,  another  in  a  corner  working  at  a  community  rug  on  a 
foot-power  loom,  another  on  the  floor  making  a  jute  rug  for  the 
bathroom  at  home,  weaving  will  be  to  every  child  there  a  varied, 
absorbingly  interesting,  and  worthy  industry;  and  every  child 
will  seem  to  himself  a  dignified  member  of  an  industrious  guild 
of  real  workers  making  something  worth  while. 


158         \vj:a\i:rs  axd  otiii:r  workers 
special  luums 

For  these  reasons  I  will  describe  here  a  more  comiihcated  kind 
of  loom  and  of  weax-inj^  than  are  fitted  to  most  children  of  the 
second  j^jade.  But  in  man>-  classes  there  will  be  a  few  boys 
who,  while  they  feci  only  a  lukewarm  interest  in  the  simple  work 
thus  far  described,  will  revel  in  llie  more  dilTlcult  task  of  weaving 
with  a  heddle. 

The  i^rinciplc  of  the  heddle  is  this:  One  set  of  threads  is  lifted 
while  the  alternate  set  is  de])ressed  or  remains  on  the  middle  level. 
This  makes  a  space  between  the  two  sets  of  threads  where  the 
shuttle  is  to  be  pushed  through.  This  space  is  called  the  shed. 
After  a  woof  thread  is  ])ut  in,  the  sets  of  threads  are  reversed; 
the  first  is  down,  the  second  is  up.  Another  woof  thread  is  put 
in,  the  heddle  again  shifted,  and  so  the  work  continues. 

The  success  of  this  kind  of  weaving  depends  upon  the  good 
working  quality  of  the  heddle.  The  distance  between  threads 
must  be  fairly  equal  throughout.  The  threads  must  play  up 
and  down  without  catching.  The  heddle  must  be  durable  so  that 
it  shall  not  break  in  the  middle  of  the  work.  It  must  make  a 
sufficient  shed  for  the  shuttle  to  pass  easily.  The  loom  must  give 
room  for  the  heddle  to  play  up  and  down. 

In  order  to  give  room  for  the  play  of  the  heddle  the  level  of 
the  threads  must  be  a  few  inches  above  the  bottom  of  the  loom. 
That  is  the  reason  for  the  high  ends  of  the  loom  I  shall  describe. 

In  the  loom  shown  in  Figs.  6  and  j,  A  A  A  A  are  strips  of 
wood  nailed  together  in  the  form  of  a  stiff  framework  for  the 
purpose  of  holding  the  uprights  B  B  B  B.  We  found  3 
inches  to  be  a  satisfactory  width  for  these  strips.  The  whole 
loom  should  be  made  of  heavy  stock — K-inch  pine  or  poplar. 
It  should  be  strongly  put  together  in  order  to  stand  up  against 
the  constant  tension  of  the  taut  threads  and  the  strain  of  weaving 
and  banging-up.  The  uprights  should  be  3  inches  wide  and  about 
8  inches  long  and  should  be  screwed  securely  to  the  framework. 
Through  these  uprights,  near  the  top  ends,  are  bored  round  holes 
to  carry  two  round  sticks  or  iron  rods.     These  looms  can  be  of 


CORRELATED  MANUAL   WORK 


159 


any  size  under  four  or  five  feet.  The  looms  shown  in  Fig.  8  are 
respectively  i^^'Xs'  and  2'X4'.  They  were  made  by  three 
boys  of  the  second  grade  who  were  of  more  than  average  strength 
and  constructive  ability. 

In  weaving  on  these  looms  we  used 
coarse  material — heavy  jute  cord  doubled 
and  twisted.  The  character  of  this  ma- 
terial demanded,  moreover,  a  loose  mesh 
to  fit  its  coarse  appearance.  In  conse- 
quence we  could  make  a  coarse  heddle; 
that  is,  we  could  have  the  warp  threads 
rather  far  apart. 

This  heddle  frame  is  shown  in  Fig.  9. 
AAA  A  are  the  sides  of  a  frame  made  of 
inch  strips  of  half -inch  stock  with  half- 
lap  joints  at  the  corners 


Fig.  6 
Along  the  top  and  bottom  edges  shallow 
saw-cuts,  BBB,  etc.,  are  made  one  half  an  inch  apart.  CC,  etc., 
are  heddles  like  that  shown  in  detail  in  Fig.  10.  The  heddle  con- 
sists of  a  small  iron  ring  with  small  holes  opposite  each  other  to 
carry  holding  strings  that  tie  it  to  the  frame.  These  heddles  can 
be  bought  of  R.  R.  Street  &  Co.,  1 84  Washington  Street,  Chicago, 
or  at  any  weavers'  and  dyers'  supply  house.  Put  a  tough  jute 
cord  through  one  small  hole  and  tie  it  around  one  side  of  the 

frame  A,  passing  it  through  the  first 
saw-cut  to  hold  it  in  place.  Then  put 
another  cord  through  the  opposite  hole 
and  tie  it  around  the  opposite  side  of 
the  frame,  stretching  the  cord  tight. 
So  do  at  each  pair  of  saw-cuts  all  the  way  across.  Thus  the  little 
iron  rings  are  stretched  in  a  line  through  the  middle  of  the  open 
space  in  the  frame.  Of  course  the  holes  in  the  rings  must  be  in  a 
straight  line  and  must  be  at  equal  distances  from  the  two  sides  of 
the  frame.  The  heddle  is  a  good  one  when  done.  The  mak- 
ing of  the  string  part  is  rather  a  difficult  operation  and  requires 
two  people  pulling  opposite  each  other  on  each  heddle  eye,  holding 


B 
0 

^ 

0 

A 

i 

Fig.  7 


160 


Wli.WHRS  AM)   OTHER    WORKERS 


Looms  made  by  boys  of  second  grade 


the  opposite  strings  of  the  hcddlc,  in  order  to  put  the  eye  into  the 
middle  of  the  space.  Two  boys  of  special  manual  ability  could  do 
the  work,  or  the  teacher  and  one  boy  might  do  it  at  odd  moments. 
When  loom  and  heddle  are  finished,  the  stringing  up  is  to  be 
done.  Thread  the  first  warp-string  through  the  first  eye  of  the 
heddle.  Tie  the  ends  about  the  rods  of  the  loom,  stretching 
the  string  tight.  Next  put  a  string  through  the  first  eye  on  the 
other  end  of  the  heddle  and  fasten  it  in  like  manner.  The  heddle 
is  now  suspended  at  the  middle  of  the  loom.  Now  put  another 
string  through  the  first  open  space  between  the  eyes  and  another 
string  through  the  next  eye.  Carry  the  end  of  one  string  over  the 
rod  and  the  other  one  tmder  it  and  tie  the  strings  together.  So 
tie  the  pair  of  strings  around  each  rod,  stretching  them  tight. 
Proceed  thus,  imtil  every  eye  and  every  space  in  the  heddle 
carries  a  tight  thread. 


CORRELATED  MANUAL   WORK 


161 


t^fffl  I M  I  M  I  I  I  M  ITTTTq 


A 

i 

A 

A 

DI) 
CC 

. 

. 

A 

Fig.  9 


In  weaving  wind  the  woof  around  a  thin  stick  a  httle  longer 
than  the  wadth  of  the  loom.  Raise  the  heddle.  Pass  a  thin 
ruler  or  similar  wooden  strip  through  the  shed  and  turn  it  up  on 
edge.  Now  you  can  take  your  hand  ofl  the  heddle,  for  the  ruler 
will  preserve  the  shed.  Pass 
the  shuttle  through  the  shed, 
pull  out  the  ruler,  push  the 
heddle  down,  thus  shifting  the 
shed  and  weaving  in  the  woof. 
Put  the  ruler  through  the  shed 
again.  With  it  beat  the  woof 
firmly  up  to  the  end  of  the 
loom.  Your  first  woof  thread  is  now  completely  woven  in.  So 
continue  to  the  end,  remembering  that  on  a  heddle  loom  we 
cannot  weave  to  the  end  of  the  warp  threads  but  must  stop  five 
or  six  inches  before  that,  while  the  heddle  can  still  play.  Be 
sure  to  beat  up  the  woof  vigorously  with  the  ruler  each  time  a 
new  thread  is  put  in.  When  the  weaving  is  done,  pull  the  strings 
carefully  out  of  the  heddle  and  tie  the  fringe  in  knots.  At  the 
other  end  of  the  woven  piece  pull  out  the  rod,  and  you  have  the 
fringe  already  tied,  only  needing  to  be  knotted. 

Almost  any  conventional  pattern  can  be  woven  into  a  piece 

by  the  darning  method.  Sup- 
pose that  the  background  is 
brown  and  that  a  green  square 
is  to  be  put  in  at  a  certain 
place.  Up  to  the  bottom  of 
the  square  the  weaving  goes 
regularly.  Then  the  weaver 
takes  a  bodkin  with  green 
Fig.  io  thread    and    darns    in    the 

square  over  the  warp,  leaving  empty  warp  threads  at  the  sides  of 
the  square.  Upon  completing  the  pattern  he  cuts  off  the  green 
thread  and  pulls  in  the  end.  Then  he  takes  up  the  bodkin  of 
brown  again  and  weaves  from  the  edge  to  the  green  square,  ])ushing 


11 


11)2         n/;.n7;A\s  axd  other  workers 

his  hoilkin  hi-lwccn  the  ^rccn  thivads  and  over  the  first  warp 
thread  whicli  carries  the  }^recii.  Thus  tlie  brown  and  the  green 
are  made  to  overlap  or  interlock  at  the  edges  of  the  square. 
The  brown  is  woven  in  on  one  side  of  the  pattern  and  when  that 
side  is  brought  up  to  the  top  of  the  square,  the  weaver  begins  on 
the  other  side.  Above  the  square  he  again  carries  his  brown  all 
the  way  across.  This  sort  of  pattern  shows  up  well  only  when  the 
warp-threads  are  hard,  small  carpet  chain,  and  the  woof  of  some 
soft,  loose  yam  which  will  beat  up  close  and  cover  the  warp.  I 
have  seen  interesting,  square-cornered  chickens  effectively  woven 
in  this  fashion  by  children  of  the  second  grade.  (See  Francis 
W.  Parker  School  Year  Book,  Vol.  Ill,  pp.  153-165.) 

SPINNING 

Spinning  in  school  seems  to  me  worth  while  only  as  a  short 
experiment.  The  whole  class  together,  each  pupil  in  turn,  may 
perhaps  spin  enough  yam  for  a  small  bag  or  for  some  older  grade 
to  use  in  embroidery,  but  more  than  that  seems  a  waste  of  energy. 
For  spinning  is  a  difficult  craft  demanding  much  practice  for  any 
degree  of  efficiency.  Yet  it  is  always  very  attractive  to  children, 
especially  with  a  large,  old-fashioned  wheel.  Such  wheels  are 
few  now,  and  probably  most  schools  must  do  without  them.  But 
the  greatest  value  of  the  experiment  consists  in  apprehending  the 
principle  of  composing  short  fibers  into  a  long  thread,  and  this 
principle  can  be  illustrated  quite  as  well  with  simple  tools.  Here 
again  is  opportunity  for  invention.  Fig.  11  shows  spindles  in- 
vented by  children.  The  inventing  was  done  after  a  child  had 
examined  a  thread  and  had  discovered  it  to  be  made  of  small  fibers 
or  hairs  twisted  together.  He  tried  to  get  a  like  result  by  twisting 
with  his  fingers.  Each  pupil  then  took  some  wool  and  set  about 
planning  a  more  effective  way  to  twist  it. 

Various  types  of  spindles  resulted,  and  for  a  day  or  two  there 
were  earnest  and  interested  efforts  by  the  proud  inventors  to 
produce  good   yarn  with  their   crude   tools.     It   needed   more 


CORRELATED  MANUAL   WORK 


163 


Fig.  II 


patience  and  skill  than  they  had,  however,  and  to  prevent  their 

becoming  discouraged  at  their  failures  I  began  teaching  them  to 

use  the  old-fashioned  wool  wheel  which  we  were  fortunate  enough 

to  possess.    This  work  proved  fascinating,  and  five  or  six  children 

even  became  able  to 

spin     acceptably,     so 

that  we  made  a  few    r- 

yards  of  yarn,  lumpy    ^ 

and  coarse,  to  be  sure, 

yet  artistic  in  effect, 

which  the  members  of 

an    upper   class   were 

glad  to  use  in  a  piece 

of     embroidery     that 

they  were  doing.     To 

cap  our  joy  we  found 

an  Irish  woman  who  came  to  the  school  and  spun  for  us  wool 

which  we  had  cut  from  a  sheep-skin  and  had  washed  with  our 

own  hands.     At  the  Field  Museum  we  saw  replicas  of  our  own 

spindles  and  at  Hull  House  saw  an  Italian  woman  actually  using 

a  hand  spindle. 

When  such  experiences  are  not  possible,  the  Perry  pictures 
furnish  acceptable  substitutes;  for  the  industry  of  spinning  seems 
to  appeal  strongly  to  an  artist's  imagination  just  as  it  will  do  to 
the  children's.  But  let  me  now  make  a  plea  for  going  out  of  the 
schoolroom  to  see  actual  material  and  actual  processes  and  for 
bringing  real  things  into  the  schoolroom.  Seeing  a  school  indus- 
try actually  being  carried  on  in  the  big  world  adds  significance 
and  dignity  to  the  school  industry  and  intelligibility  and  interest 
to  the  maturer  one.  I  believe  that  one  excursion  is  worth  a  year 
of  classroom  teaching  and  will  repay  any  sacrifice  in  the  way  of 
time  and  trouble. 

Often  we  are  too  easily  persuaded  that  excursions  arc  impos- 
sible. If  the  town  has  no  museum,  it  has,  perhaps,  a  cloth  mill 
or  a  rag-carpet  weaver  or  a  shop  where  made-over  rugs  arc  woven. 


\6\         \vi-:a\i:ks  am)  otiu-.r  workers 

Perha|)s  there  is  an  oriental  salesroom  or  a  flock  of  sheep  on  the 
edj^e  of  town  or  an  angora  goat  in  some  back  yard.  There  are, 
lK)ssibly,  foreigners  who  ha\'e  brought  from  their  homes  in  the 
old  country  pieces  of  old  homespun,  or  even  wheels  and  spindles, 
and  perhaps  they  would  be  willing  to  visit  the  school  and  make 
demonstrations  of  spinning.  This  and  that  child  from  the  class 
can  bring  an  oriental  rug  or  a  braided  rug  from  home,  and  all 
of  them  can  get  samples  of  various  kinds  of  cloth  to  examine,  to 
ravel,  to  speculate  about.  Handling  real  things  in  this  way  and 
seeing  real  work  will  stimulate  that  investigating  spirit  that  is 
one  of  the  main  objects  of  education.  And  if,  meantime,  the 
articles  that  the  child  makes  are  being  really  used,  then  the  result 
of  a  comparison  of  his  own  products  with  those  of  abler  workers 
will  be,  not  humiliation,  but  an  appreciation  of  a  true  artist's 
skill. 

In  connection  with  spinning,  a  study  of  the  hairy  covering  of 
various  animals  is  interesting.  The  children  can  doubtless  bring 
samples  of  the  hair  of  cats,  dogs,  horses;  perhaps  of  squirrels, 
rabbits,  and  goats.  Why  are  some  of  these  hairs  used  for  spinning 
and  some  not?  There  are  several  reasons,  of  course.  One  wall 
appear  from  an  attempt  to  spin  the  hair,  another  from  the  habits 
and  accessibility  of  the  animals.  A  few  children  may  get  some- 
thing from  studying  the  different  fibers  under  a  microscope.  If 
the  pupils  mount  these  samples  of  hair  or  fur  or  wool  on  large 
cards,  together  with  the  pictures  of  the  animals  from  which  they 
are  obtained  and  a  statement  as  to  whether  the  fiber  is  practicable 
for  spinning  (with  a  sample  of  the  yarn  when  possible) ,  the  material 
and  data  can  be  better  held  in  mind  during  study. 

DYEING 

A  textile  activity  more  practical  for  children  than  spinning, 
and  therefore  more  satisfactory,  is  dyeing.  More  of  such  work 
can  be  done,  of  course,  in  a  school  where  there  is  textile  or  cooking 
equipment  (stoves  and  pans)  than  in  one  not  so  furnished.     Under 


CORRELATED  MANUAL   WORK  165 

■such  conditions  a  child  can  have  a  chance  to  try  his  own  experi- 
ments many  times  and  to  dye  his  own  wool  or  rags  for  whatever 
he  wants  to  make.  But  in  any  school,  certain  class  experiments 
are  possible  with  one  Bunsen  burner  or  alcohol  lamp  or  chafing- 
dish  lamp.  Some  of  the  children  will  be  able  to  work  out  at 
home  recipes  made  up  at  school  and  to  bring  back  samples  and 
reports. 

The  step  in  dyeing  that  is  most  fun  and  is  most  educational, 
I  believe,  is  that  of  mentally  hunting  among  common  things  of 
one's  acquaintance  for  possible  dyestuffs.  I  find  that  children 
generally  think  first  of  things  they  have  spilled  on  the  tablecloth — 
strawberries,  cherry  juice,  cocoa,  egg.  Next  they  think  of  brightly 
colored  things  —  beets,  carrots,  oranges,  ink.  Some  of  these 
things  sound  to  us  grown-ups  impossible  and  foolish  as  dyes; 
but  I  believe  that  every  suggestion  ought  to  be  tried;  for  it  is 
experience  that  really  convinces  and  teaches  and  that  ought  to 
convince  and  teach.  There  will  be  suggested  various  ways  of 
using  the  material — to  crush  the  berries  upon  the  cloth,  to  squeeze 
out  the  juice  and  soak  the  cloth  in  it,  to  cook  the  berries  and 
soak  the  cloth  in  the  colored  water.  I  would  try  any  method 
mentioned.  It  is  likely,  by  the  way,  that  somewhere  in  the 
world  some  primitive  people  may  use  the  very  material  and 
method  invented  by  the  children.  But  probably  no  one  will 
suggest  the  use  of  anything  to  set  the  dye,  so  the  first  color  will 
wash  out.  Then  the  teacher  must  recommend  a  mordant,  and 
the  experiment  must  be  tried  again. 

The  second  step  in  the  process  of  dyeing  is  in  some  way  to  get 
the  color  out  of  the  dyestuff.  Boiling  or  long  soaking  generally 
does  this  most  effectively.  Next  the  mordant  must  be  intro- 
duced. The  common  mordants  are  salt,  alum,  sugar  of  lead,  cream 
of  tartar,  crude  tartar.  Different  mordants  affect  a  dye  in  differ- 
ent ways.  For  instance,  alum  put  into  the  juice  of  red  cabbage 
will  produce  light  blue,  while  cream  of  tartar  combined  with  it 
makes   light   pink.     Alum   generally  lightens  a   color,   and   salt 


iGG         \\i:a\'i:rs  axd  otiii:r  workers 

deopons  it.     The  following  r(.'ci])os  illustrato  two  ways  of  intro- 
ducing the  nionlant. 

1 . 
Put  14  ounce  of  alum  into  one  quart  of  water. 
Put  the  cloth  into  the  aUim  water. 
Soak  it  all  night. 
Next  day  take  it  out. 
Put  it  into  the  dye  while  it  is  wet. 

2. 

I  chopped  4  ounces  of  red  cabbage. 

I  put  it  into  2  quarts  of  water. 

I  boiled  it  for  l/i  hour. 

I  took  the  cabbage  out. 

I  put  ^  ounce  of  alum  into  the  water. 

I  wet  my  cloth  and  put  it  into  the  dye. 

I  boiled  it  for  }4  an  hour. 

Then  I  wrung  it  out  and  hung  it  up  to  dry. 

Then  I  washed  it. 

It  was  blue. 

During  the  year  my  class  experimented  with  several  simple 
dyes.  Those  that  I  suggested  in  addition  to  the  children's  list 
I  chose  because  their  sources  are  easily  understood  by  children. 
Chemical  dyes  I  omitted  for  the  reverse  reason.  Following  is  a 
list  of  the  materials  tried: 

Successful  Dyes  Suggested  by  Children 

Blueberries red-blue 

Strawberries crimson 

Red  currants light  red 

Concord  grapes blue-gray 

Blackberries dark  red 

Grass green 

Spinach green 

Sumac  berries drab 

Dandelion  flower light  yellow 

Tea drab 

CofTee tan 

Red  cabbage blue  or  pink 


CORRELATED  MANUAL   WORK  167 

Unsuccessful  Dyes  Suggested  by  Children 
Cocoa,  egg,  beet,  cranberries. 

Successful  Dyes  Suggested  by  Teacher 
Alder  pith yellow- 
Madder  soft  red 

Brazilwood bright  red 

Logwood black 

Fustic yellow 

Saffron yellow 

■^ —  Onion  skin yellow 

Yellow  dock  root light  lemon 

Walnut  hulls brown 

Sassafras  root drab 

Of  these  dyes  we  used  one  or  two  ounces,  with  a  quart  of 
water,  for  half  a  square  yard  of  goods.  With  them  we  used 
generally  alum  or  salt  with  little  difference.  Some  of  the  material 
in  the  last  list  can,  of  course,  be  obtained  at  the  grocery  store  or 
in  the  vacant  lot.  Others  can  be  bought  at  dye  houses  and  drug 
stores. 

Where  there  is  such  equipment  that  a  child  may  do  his  own 
work,  the  need  of  a  written  recipe  to  be  followed  in  the  dye-room 
is  a  strong  and  real  stimulus  to  writing.  Just  as  most  of  the 
reading  of  my  second  grade  was  done  in  answering  questions  and 
in  supplementing  interests  aroused  by  handwork,  so  most  of  the 
writing  was  done  in  preparing  recipes  and  in  making  permanent 
record  of  work  for  the  school  museum.  Following  is  an  example 
of  recipes  thus  made  and  used : 

Take  i  ounce  of  Brazilwood. 

Tie  it  in  a  bag. 

Put  it  into  I  quart  of  water. 

Put  I  ounce  of  salt  into  the  water. 

Boil  the  water  for  }4  hour. 

Take  the  bag  out  of  the  dye. 

Wash  the  cloth. 

Put  it  into  the  dye. 

Boil  it  for  yi  hour. 

Hang  the  cloth  up  to  dry. 

Wash  it  in  cold  water. 


168 


]\i:a\'i:rs  .wn  other  workers 


Till':  SrilOOL  MUSEUM 
Tho  value  of  a  school  nuiscuin  is  cNidcnl,  l)ut  most  of  us 
soartvly  iini)rovo  the  opporUniilies  thai  the  buiUhnj^-uj)  of  such  a 
museum  alTords.  One  Ihiiij;  that  a  second  ^rade  (hd  may  serve 
as  an  example  of  the  possibilities.  I"2ach  time  we  did  any  dyeing 
we  saved  small  bottles  full  of  the  dry  dye,  the  mordant,  the  licjuid 
dye,  and  a  small  sami)le  of  the  dyed  cloth.  These  wc  mounted 
on  sheets  of  cardboard,  wrote  their  names  below  them,  and 
pasted  the  written  recipe  on  the  back  of  the  cardboard.  The  result 
in  the  chiUlren's  minds  was  a  more  definite  and  classified  knowledge 
of  their  cxiDcriments  and  of  the  sources  and  possibilities  of  dyes 
than  would  have  existed  without  the  tabulation.  There  was  fur- 
nished, too,  the  golden  opportun- 
ity of  repeated  writing  for  a  real 
purpose.  Also,  there  was  created 
for  the  teacher  and  the  children 
of  another  year  a  small  mass  of 
material  and  a  record  of  experi- 
ence which  might  serve  them  for 
reference  and  suggestion,  and  to 
which  they  might  add  their  own 
further  record.  (See  Fig.  12.) 
Fig.  12  Through  a  few  years  a  mu- 

seum can  be  built  up  which  will  ser\^e  many  useful  purposes. 
It  will  contain  pictures  and  materials  that  will  help  to  make  the 
subject  of  textiles  interesting  and  vivid  to  a  new  class.  It  will 
supplv  motive  to  every  class  for  the  making  of  those  careful, 
graphic  records  which  classify  images  and  deepen  impressions  in 
the  makers  of  them.  As  visible  data  concerning  failures  and 
successes  in  teaching  it  will  be  a  reminder  and  corrective  and 
stimulus  to  the  teacher.  There  is  hardly  a  subject  that  is  taught 
in  the  primary  grades  which  could  not  and  ought  not  contribute 
much  to  this  museum  in  the  way  of  drawings,  charts,  written 
papers,  clay  models,  actual  tools  used  and  things  made,  collections 
of  specimens  and  of  pictures. 


CORRELATED  MANUAL   WORK  169 

ILLUSTRATIVE  CONSTRUCTION 

All  phases  of  the  textile  industry  are  full  of  picture  and  cry 
out  for  illustration  with  pencil  and  brush  and  clay.  The  black- 
boards ought  to  be  full  of  shepherds  and  sheep  and  goats  and 
camels  and  tents  and  spinning  wheels.  There  should  be  on  the 
walls  an  ever-shifting  exhibit  of  water-color  sketches  of  brilliant 
oriental  scenes.  One  second  grade  made  a  frieze  of  clay  plaques 
with  scenes  in  bas-relief  illustrating  the  beautiful  shepherd  imagery 
of  the  twenty-third  psalm. 

The  sand  table  is  invaluable  as  an  encouragement  to  expression 
and  as  an  exhibition  place.  It  can  be  now  an  oasis  where  an  Arab 
caravan  has  camped,  to-morrow  a  valley  in  Palestine  where  Abra- 
ham has  led  his  flocks,  next  a  Persian  town  where  a  rug  fair  is  in 
progress,  after  that  an  oriental  dye-shop,  or  the  hilltop  where  a 
Pueblo  village  is  built,  or  a  farm  at  sheep-shearing  time.  In- 
deed, the  sand  table  is  a  stimulus  to  clear  imagery  and  to  good 
expression;  it  is  an  inexhaustible  source  of  joy  and  profit  to  the 
children.  They  will  play  with  it  before  school;  will  gain  technical 
skill  in  modeling  and  cutting  and  painting;  will  come  habitually 
to  imagine  stories  in  definite,  dramatic  pictures.  If  you  have  no 
sand  table  you  can  easily  improvise  one  out  of  a  large  shallow  box. 
Any  kind  of  sand,  or  even  ordinary  soil,  will  serve  as  well  as  sand 
that  you  must  buy. 

Let  the  children  model  a  grazing  country  as  a  setting  for  the 
first  reading  lesson  of  this  series.  There  may  be  rocky  hills  with 
a  river.  Strips  of  tin  or  tinfoil  shine  like  water.  Weeds  planted 
in  the  sand  or  twigs  thrust  in  will  make  good  trees.  Sow  seed  all 
over  the  sand  and  keep  it  wet,  and  soon  you  will  have  a  beautiful 
country.  The  shepherds'  huts  as  described  in  the  reading  lesson 
named  "A  Shepherds'  Village  in  Greece"  can  be  made  of  twigs 
and  raffia.  To  people  this  land  the  children  can  form  sheep  and 
shepherds  out  of  clay.  (There  is  an  excellent  prepared  clay 
called  plastolene  which  never  dries  or  crumbles,  which  is  always 
ready  for  use,  and  which  can  be  used  over  and  over.     It  can  be 


170  \VEA\1:RS   AM)   OTHER    WORKERS 

obtained  from  A.  H.  AlihoU,  151  Wabash  Avenue,  Chicago.) 
Instead  of  this  rather  reahstic  landscape  you  can  substitute  trees 
and  slieep  and  people  cut  from  cardboard  or  paper  and  painted. 
With  a  little  strip  of  cardboard  i)asted  to  the  back  these  will  stand 
when  thrust  into  the  sand.  Both  the  modeling  and  the  paper 
cutting  demand  study  of  fomi.  Go  out-of-doors  to  study  trees. 
If  you  can,  go  to  a  fami  to  study  sheep ;  if  not,  use  pictures.  (There 
arc  many  beautiful  shepherd  scenes  among  the  Perry  pictures.) 
Let  the  children  themselves  serve  as  models  for  the  study  of  the 
human  form.  Thus  the  sand-pan  picture  should  be  the  result 
of  real  study  and  of  steadily  growing  skill. 

And  so  by  manual  construction  carried  on  with  some  definite 
purpose,  by  the  reading  of  matter  that  illuminates  some  real 
interest,  by  social  activity,  by  imaginative  expression,  by  investi- 
gation and  experiment  and  invention,  we  may  help  to  train  up 
interested,  thoughtful  human  beings  with  power  to  initiate  action, 
to  feel  beauty,  and  to  express  emotion. 


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UC  SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 

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